The usual suspects are buzzing about an upcoming Nintendo Direct to kick off February. This one will reportedly be a Partner Showcase, so while I wouldn’t expect teases for anything wild like a new 3D Mario game, we’ll probably got a healthy influx of new Switch 2 ports to help button down the first half of the platform’s year.
Nintendo traditionally holds a February showcase to preview what’s coming and help fill in release calendar slots for its loyal fans. Podcasting insider NateTheHate and YouTube channel GameXplain have both suggested 2026 will follow a similar pattern, though the event will be a Partner Showcase rather than a full-blown first-party Direct. VGC was also able to corroborate those claims. So expect a new Nintendo Direct somewhere around February 3-5.
But what is Nintendo likely to show? Well, we’re still waiting on firm release dates for Elden Ring and Borderlands 4 on Switch 2. The latter was recently rumored to be coming near the end of February. There’s also been plenty of smoke about Monster Hunter Wilds making it over to Nintendo’s latest console, as well as the port for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth coming sooner than expected. Metaphor: Refantazio, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and Final Fantasy XVI also seem like potential candidates.
I’m more curious to see where this missing Microsoft support for the Switch 2 is. Some version of Call of Duty is rumored to be coming to the platform this spring and the company still hasn’t confirmed a Halo: Combat Evolved remake port for the Switch 2. There’s also plenty of lower-hanging fruit like Sea of Thieves, Diablo 4, and Avowed, which is coming to PS5 next month. Starfield would also be a big get. Is a Switch 2 port part of the game’s rumored 2.0 plans? Hopefully.
Announcements for new games would also be nice. We know we’re getting FromSoftware’s multiplayer action game Duskbloods sometime this year. It’ll be interesting to see if any other major studios reveal exclusive side-projects for the Nintendo platform. But in the new era of every game being playable on every device, that seems less likely than a slew of new AAA ports.