Nintendo Switch Sports Resort is just a little over a month out from releasing, but it isn’t finished showing off new content. During the latest Nintendo Direct, Nintendo Switch Sports Resort revealed some new game modes, customization options, and teased the return of a fondly remembered Wii Sports legend.
Released in April 2022, Nintendo Switch Sports was the Wii Sports successor that fans had waited almost a decade for. But to some, that wait might not have been worth it. Nintendo Switch Sports earned a mixed reception from critics upon its 2022 debut, and it’s currently sitting at a Top Critic Average of 70 on OpenCritic, and a recommendation score of just 44%. In GameRant’s Nintendo Switch Sports review, Dalton Cooper gave the game a 4/10, calling many of its included sports shallow, and stating that “it’s a game that Switch owners can safely skip.”
Nintendo Switch Sports Resort Reveals New Modes and Familiar Faces
Four years after its middling predecessor hit store shelves, the Nintendo Sports series is returning next month with Nintendo Switch Sports Resort. Just as the previous game took inspiration from Wii Sports, this upcoming entry is modeling itself after 2009’s Wii Sports Resort, even going as far as to borrow its setting of Wuhu Island. While the 12 included sports will obviously take center stage, Nintendo Switch Sports Resort has just announced the inclusion of a few additional game modes.
The latest Nintendo Switch Sports Resort trailer confirmed that players will be able to freely explore Wuhu Island, using a variety of traversal methods to do so. On land, players will use a skateboard to glide across the island and pick up sightseeing tokens. On water, players will use a jetski to chase dolphins and earn coins. And in the air, players will fly a seaplane, collecting hidden hibiscus flower tokens.
A newly announced ‘Island Crown’ mode will also be available in Nintendo Switch Sports Resort. This offline mode will see players gradually making their way up the leaderboards of each sport. The recent Nintendo Direct trailer teases that “seasoned champs” will appear in this mode, and proceeds to reveal the return of Matt, an iconic Wii Sports alum best known for his expertise in boxing.
The most recent Nintendo Switch Sports Resort trailer ends with the confirmation that players will be able to unlock an assortment of customization items for their Mii character, including new hairstyles, clothing options, and accessories. Presumably, these cosmetic items will be unlocked by simply playing Nintendo Switch Sports Resort and exploring Wuhu Island in free roam. Nintendo Switch Sports Resort is set to release on October 22, 2026, when it’ll launch as a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive.
- Released
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October 22, 2026
- Developer(s)
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Nintendo
- Publisher(s)
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Nintendo
- Multiplayer
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Online Multiplayer, Local Multiplayer
