The Nintendo Direct held this Tuesday (June 9) delivered dozens of minutes of announcements focused on titles coming to the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 in the second half of 2026. The presentation, lasting around 50 minutes, was followed by a Treehouse Live with in-depth gameplay.
The event reinforced Nintendo’s calendar for the year, with an emphasis on first-parties and major partnerships. Among the highlights, several games gained concrete release windows, helping to fill the fall and winter.
Rhythm Heaven Groove opens the show with new features
The broadcast began with a new trailer forRhythm Heaven Groove, which arrives on Nintendo Switch on July 2, 2026. The title features more than 80 new rhythm minigames, progressively unlockable, as well as support for up to four players in more than 30 multiplayer modes. It’s the first new entry in the series in over a decade.
Fire Emblem and other first parties get dates
Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weavereceived an unreleased trailer and official date: September 17th. The tactical RPG is one of the biggest releases of the year for the Switch 2. Other titles already confirmed, such asStar Fox(still in June),Splatoon Raiders(July) and updates for the franchise were also mentioned in the context of the lineup.
Third-party surprises and exclusives for Switch 2
Nintendo and partners have revealed several new features exclusive or optimized for the Switch 2:
- Orbitals: Two-player co-op adventure, with visuals inspired by retro anime, arrives exclusively on Switch 2 on September 3rd.
- Onimusha: Way of the Sword(Capcom): new look at combat, launching September 25th.
- Rayman Legends Retold(Ubisoft): Switch 2 release on October 1st.
- One Piece: Grand Gourmet: surprise announcement, scheduled for October 22nd.
- Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen: Expansion of Capcom’s RPG, launching on October 9th.
Stellar Blade and Pokémon also present
Stellar Blade, by Shift Up, was confirmed for the Switch 2 sometime in 2026 — a significant expansion of the audience for the action game. AlreadyPokémon Pokopiagot a free update and paid DLC, expanding the title’s content.
The Direct also served to manage expectations about persistent rumors, such as a possible remake ofThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time(taking advantage of the franchise’s 40th anniversary) and other projects for 2027, which did not appear this time.
What changes for Switch 2 owners
With these announcements, the second half of 2026 is consolidated as a period rich in launches for the new console. The mix of first-party sequels, relevant ports and third-party exclusives helps justify the investment in hardware. The subsequent Treehouse Live allowed us to see more gameplay of the games presented.
Fans who expected big teases for 2027 were a little frustrated, but the declared focus was really on the rest of 2026.