Month: September 2026

The third Switch 2 update for the Xenoblade Chronicles series is on the way, and like its predecessors, it’s adding a bit of new content to the already massive role-playing game. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is set for December 3, 2026, and today we got a look at its new mode and character.

First up, the new mode, Heroes’ Vault, sure looks a lot like the top-down roguelike bullet-heaven genre sometimes called “Survivors” games, after the super-popular Vampire Survivors. You pilot Noah around from a similarly top-down perspective, take out enemies, and gradually build up both resources and a team to take down a final boss at the end.

That seems all well and good, but the news that will probably have Xenoblade Chronicles keenly interested in this update is the new hero, Shimmer. I’m reluctant to post any story details here that might spoil previous games — I’m still playing through the previous two games via Switch 2 update myself — but let’s just say, if you’re familiar with a particular photo shown at the end of Xenoblade Chronicles 3, you might know why Shimmer’s appearance and garb caught the eye of Xenoblade fans.

What role she’ll play in the story, and how much extra content may or may not exist around her, is yet to be seen. But at the very least, by December 3, we’ll have updated Nintendo Switch 2 versions of all three Xenoblade Chronicles games. They’re very, very good role-playing games, so if you’ve got any free time over the holidays, there are a lot worse ways to spend the hours than finally getting into Xenoblade.

For previous owners of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 on the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo will be offering an upgrade pack. It’ll be $9.99, per Nintendo’s eShop page.

Pikmin 4, which released in 2023, is getting a Switch 2 edition with an entirely too long name on November 12. The game, Pikmin 4 Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Dandori Academy, brings the game to Switch 2 with some likely technical improvements and the ability to give Oatchi voice commands using the built-in mic.

The Switch 2 version of the game will also include Dandori Academy, which is functionally a time trial mode. The unique element is that you can practice getting your best times and then take official exams on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to lock in your official scores, which can be compared to friends and others online. 72 Dandori stages are planned and will become available in the game over time.

For more, you can read Game Informer‘s Pikmin 4 review by following the link.

Tokyo-based developer/publisher Marvelous has revealed Eternal Anima, a new RPG with a visual style that looks like the company’s own take on Square Enix’s HD-2D art. It launches on Switch 2 on March 4, 2027. 

Eternal Anima is set in a world covered almost entirely by ocean, and humanity has abandoned its aspirations and wisdom, according to the reveal trailer’s narrator. In the lone city left standing – Urbis Ale – there is only one rule: You must never strive for a better tomorrow. That’s seemingly what protagonist Wade does; however, he uses a mysterious power to relive memories of the past and discovers a world beyond city lines. He’s branded a heretic as a result, but that won’t stop him. 

Check it out in the Eternal Anima reveal trailer below: 

“By inheriting the memories of the world, you acquire the abilities of heroes past,” the trailer’s narrator says. “Peer into the future of [the game’s turn-based] combat to sense and predict enemy actions, then disrupt their next move to take fate into your own hands. As you seek the hidden truths of the world, your adventure will extend back in time. Can you save the past and free the present?” 

Eternal Anima hits Nintendo Switch 2 on March 4, 2027.  

Kirby is setting off on a new adventure on the Nintendo Switch 2. Kirby and the World Beyond is a new Kirby game, with a free-roaming exploration set-up and a lot of mysteries to uncover next spring.

This new Kirby game was revealed as the one-last-thing for today’s Nintendo Direct, targeting a spring 2027 launch on the Nintendo Switch 2. The trailer starts out with Kirby exploring a world, doing very Kirby things: swallowing enemies, gaining powers, and being adorable.

But a crack in the blue sky reveals a Truman Show situation is at play, and Kirby is joined by a strange new floating friend in a quest to figure out what lies beyond this strange shell.

As confirmed in the Direct, this is a free-exploration Kirby game. The degree of openness of the world can’t be fully gleaned from today’s trailer, but considering Nintendo’s track record of creating open-world experiences for its various mascots — Mario, Link, Donkey Kong, and Karts — it makes sense that Kirby would be up next, especially with the 35th series anniversary next year.

We’ll have to keep an eye out for more, but I’m certainly intrigued in some more adventures with Nintendo’s beloved pink orb. Kirby and the World Beyond is set for a spring 2027 window.

Metroid Ravenous is the next entry in the 2D Metroid series, and it was just revealed during today’s Nintendo Direct. Seemingly set after the events of Metroid Dread, it shows Samus exploring an alien moon and gaining a new ability to drain energy from her foes. You can see the reveal trailer below.

“I was attacked by unknown assailants and sustained grave injuries,” Samus says during the trailer. “I don’t know where I am. Getting back to the surface won’t be easy. My chances of getting off this moon are slim at best. Still – I will survive. And I will make it home. Even if I have to feed on my enemies to do so. It’s eat or be eaten.”

Footage shows her facing off against a group of five mysterious figures, each with cloaks and wide-brimmed hats that obscure their faces. Samus falls into the sands of this alien desert and has to claw her way back to the surface. Gameplay shows off a variety of abilities, including a dash that warps Samus through walls, the ability to run on water, the return of Metroid Dread’s parry mechanic, and the new signature energy siphoning ability. Samus is seen absorbing the life force from one foe, which dissipates into nothingness.

Metroid Ravenous is out very soon – January 28, 2027. For more Metroid, check out our reviews of Metroid Prime 4 and Metroid Dread.

Mega Man: Dual Override’s Nintendo Direct participation was light on big news or reveals, but we did get to see Proto Man gameplay for the first time. Proto Man’s big difference is he uses a shield both for defense and offense.

The game will be available on Switch and Switch 2 Spring 2027. Alongside the launch of the game will also come new Amiibo figures. Both Mega Man (his second Amiibo after his original Smash Bros. figure) and Proto Man are getting figures and they will be available on the game’s launch day.

 

For more on Dual Override, you can read our Gamescom hands-on impressions and interview with the development team here.

While Nintendo consoles are often identified as the definitive place for family-friendly gaming, partnerships with other game makers have increasingly allowed more adult-targeted projects to find their way onto Switch consoles. That seems to be precisely what’s happening with the recent Resident Evil remake games, as all three are headed to Switch 2 in just a few weeks. 

Resident Evil 2: Deluxe Edition helps retell the story of the Raccoon City Incident; this new edition includes the DLC. We also get to see Jill Valentine’s perspective on that foundational event through the release of the remake of Resident Evil 3. Finally, Resident Evil 4 jumps us six years later to take on Resident Evil 4: Gold Edition. Beyond tracking on Leon’s memorable adventure, this release also includes DLC like the Ada Wong-focused Separate Ways expansion. 

All three games are set to release simultaneously for Nintendo Switch 2 on October 16. For players who either enjoyed the recent release of Resident Evil Requiem, or who have yet to try that excellent new entry in the long-running series, these remakes would be a great way to get a solid picture of some of the most important story beats that define the franchise. 

A free Mario Kart World update arrives later today, and it’s going back to the series’ roots. You might have noticed that, around the world of Mario Kart World, there are replications of tracks from the very first Mario Kart game. Well, in today’s update, those tracks will be officially available to race around.

You can access these classic tracks in Vs. Mode. There are 10 tracks in total, including Choco Island, Vanilla Lake, and Ghost Valley. The courses even have the classic mechanic of driving over Question Mark panels for items.

That’s not the only update, though. Two new routes are coming to Knockout Mode: Propeller Rally and Turnip Rally. So if you’re hankering for a reason to get back into some racing, and eight-player Mario Kart 8 Deluxe wasn’t enough, you should have plenty of kart racing to dig into now.

Pokémon Pokopia is one of 2026’s best games, and it’s getting more paid content this year. We already got the chance to explore a new biome, Bubbly Basin, in the game’s first wave of DLC, and today’s Nintendo Direct showed off what’s coming next: accessories.

The new footage shows a few new Pokémon – Doduo, Braixen, and Skitty – alongside newly equippable fashion statements. Your town’s residents can wear sunglasses, a Sylveon ribbon on their head, or a bow tie. We also see a ruffled jabot tie at the end of the trailer, and see Pokémon wearing different accessories on the head and around the neck, implying you can mix and match. Promo art shows a few more options as well – angel wings, a flower in Ditto’s hair, and what looks like a maid’s bonnet. 

For those hungry for more substantial content, you might be out of luck – the handful of new accessories and the promise of a few new Pokémon is all we’ve got for now. For more Pokopia, you can read our review here.

Nintendo is continuing to give Star Fox some overdue attention this year. The remake of Star Fox 64 that released in June (read our review here) is getting an update on September 29 that adds new local split-screen multiplayer options and three new multiplayer stages.

 

The more immediate Star Fox news, however, is that the 2002 GameCube game Star Fox Adventures is coming to Switch Online later today. Star Fox Adventures is an odd entry in the Star Fox canon as Rare began development as a non-Star Fox game before it was converted and, frankly, it’s kind of obvious when you play the game. But that’s also one of the reasons it is so interesting.