Contrary to what the internet might have you believe, the recent Nintendo Direct presentation was packed full of game announcements and updates. It was also the first broadcast of its time since September 2025, so the wait between events was a very long one. We now have a much better idea of Nintendo’s 2026 lineup, and we’ll presumably hear about more of their 2027 games later this year – perhaps in another Nintendo Direct.
In the meantime, we’re rating June’s presentation, what it did well, and what could have been better. Full Direct contents ahead, so keep that in mind in case you somehow haven’t watched it just yet.
Nintendo Direct overview
The most significant announcement in the June 2026 Nintendo Direct was the confirmation that a full remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is indeed in development and set to release later this year. For being one of the greatest games of all time, Nintendo has only made one remake of Ocarina of Time (and some may argue it’s closer to a remaster), and it’s never developed a remake of the game in HD.
The existence of this project was leaked earlier this year, which did admittedly spoil the surprise to those who keep up with leaks. And the leaks created additional expectations – the Ocarina of Time remake was dropped at the end of the Direct as “one last surprise”, but because so many people already knew about it, they were also looking for gameplay footage and more information on new and updated features, which weren’t there. It is a bit strange that a game releasing in 2026 doesn’t have any gameplay footage yet – the trailer was just a quick scene of Link asleep in his house – but we’ll definitely see gameplay sooner rather than later. Maybe Ocarina of Time will get its own Direct? Nintendo does love saving announcements for Nintendo Today, so that’s an option too.
Some love the new art style, while others are critical of its direction, but it’s much too early to judge considering we’ve seen a stiff angle of a single character and not much else. A very cool reveal, but one that definitely should’ve included more information.
The Kingdom Hearts collection and Kingdom Hearts 4 were huge announcements, too. I’m not a big Kingdom Hearts fan myself, but having the next big game launch on Nintendo Switch 2 at the same time as all other platforms is huge. It’d definitely be nice if we knew when launch day was, but it’s a good confirmation nonetheless. It’s also great to see the original Kingdom Hearts games available on Nintendo Switch 2. Previously, they were only available as cloud versions for Nintendo Switch 1, which meant you had to stream them over the internet to your device. That’s a pretty terrible idea for a handheld device, of course, so even though the games were technically present on Nintendo Switch, very few players actually bought them as far as we know. Now they’re playable without any cloud streaming shenanigans, which is a big win.
Nintendo Switch Sports Resort is an interesting announcement. I played the original Nintendo Switch Sports for over 100 hours and unlocked every single piece of gear in the game. If you haven’t touched that game in a while, that’s understandable – every week, a new set of gear would become available, and you’d have to play online matches against others to earn points and unlock that week’s gear. If you missed that week, you’d have to wait until the gear was available online again, and that usually took a very long time. The point here is that the original Nintendo Switch Sports was very light on content, and it was mistaken in assuming that playing the same six sports online to unlock customization options that should have been available from the start would create replay value.
From the looks of it, Nintendo Switch Sports Resort has double the amount of sports, though it seems Badminton and Chambara have not been included in the lineup. It’s surprising to see Sportsmates again – they weren’t popular in the first Nintendo Switch Sports and these games could be much more loved if they primarily used Miis instead of the rather generic Sportsmates. Miis have only become more popular thanks to Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, but of course Nintendo Switch Sports Resort was almost certainly in development at the same time, so there wasn’t time to shift focus to Miis. Overall, this an interesting announcement – hopefully the game turns out much better than Nintendo Switch Sports, which was a decent attempt but wound up lacking content as well as the soul of Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort.
The Duskbloods is a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive that a lot of players are excited for it. But much like the Ocarina of Time remake, no gameplay was shown, which is bizarre given that it’s launching in 2026. There will be a closed network test for the game this summer, so we’ll learn more soon enough, but it’s still odd to not show any gameplay at the Nintendo Direct. Strange decision for sure.
If you’re a fan of Xenoblade Chronicles like me, you probably loved this Direct. Nintendo Switch 2 Editions were announced for the first, second, and third games, all releasing at different times this year. That means it’s a great time to get into the series for the first time – start with the first game and play them chronologically. Xenoblade games are well-loved for their excellent stories, visuals, and music, and all three are must-plays for anyone who loves RPGs.
Previously, all three mainline games suffered a bit on the original Nintendo Switch – especially the first two, with low resolution and a capped 30 frames per second. Now each game renders in 4K at 60 frames per second, making them feel super-smooth and better than ever. If you don’t want to pay $70 for the Switch 2 Edition of the Xenoblade games, you can find a used copy of the standard Nintendo Switch games and then buy the upgrade packs on the eShop for $10 each. Definitely worth considering if you want to get into this excellent series for the first time.
Speaking of which, we also got a look at Xenoblade Genesis, Monolith Soft’s new Nintendo Switch 2 RPG. It’s presumably a different timeline than the other Xenoblade games, but you’ll probably be able to better understand subtle callbacks and references to previous titles if you play them first. At first glance, Genesis looks much different than other Xenoblade games, mainly because of its updated art style and setting. These titles usually have a science-fiction twist, and we’ll see if that’s the case in 2027. As much as I love Xenoblade, it’s actually hard for me to get excited for new titles just from trailers alone. I prefer tuning out the trailers, buying the game day one, and then figuring everything out myself. The less details I know before playing, the better!
Pokemon Pokopia is also receiving its first DLC, with an update arriving in August that adds Bubbly Basin as a new world. Previously, any time you tried to build underwater, Ditto would drown in a few seconds, forcing you to respawn on land. This made construction tough if you had to add support beams that touched the ground or a bottom floor or basement that went into a body of water. Now with the new update, Ditto will be able to breathe and swim underwater indefinitely. The Expansion Pass also contains a second new world that will release in 2027. The base game already has a ton of content that I’m nowhere near close to completing after 200 hours, so it’s good to see even more stuff to do. Or maybe it’s not good, if you’re already overwhelmed by all the decorating you have left to do!
Minecraft is also getting its own dedicated Nintendo Switch 2 Edition that is compatible with the Vibrant Visuals update, which puts it leaps and bounds above the standard Nintendo Switch edition. All Nintendo Switch save data is compatible, too, so you don’t have to restart any of your worlds. The Nintendo Switch version was rightfully criticized for being generally very finicky and even non-functional at times, so hopefully we see some of those issues fixed on Switch 2.
We also received the DK Challenge, a new Nintendo Switch Online feature where you can complete challenges in various games to earn challenge cards and complete a set of tasks. I just recently finished this challenge myself, and while it’s not anything amazing, it’s a nice little distraction that can help you rediscover classic games that might not have been on your radar otherwise. We have a complete guide here for all of the challenges.
Donkey Kong Bananza’s Emerald Rush DLC is also getting a Mario collaboration. There’s something very odd about this DLC – when it was first announced last year, the trailer put more emphasis on DK Island, a mostly-empty setpiece with some neat references, than Emerald Rush, the addictive roguelike mode that can easily add 30 hours of game time. And now, the Mario collaboration has been presented in a strange way – the Direct failed to mention that the Mario and Luigi outfits for DK and Pauline currently can’t be obtained in any way, so the entire event is cosmetic-only. Very strange way of marketing the game – definitely needs more clarification.
Deltarune’s long-awaited Chapter 5 was revealed to release on June 24 as a free update to anyone with the game. People have been waiting for this for a long time, especially after the plot twists of Chapters 3 and 4. Deltarune revealing new chapters seems to be a recurring theme at Nintendo Directs, so I wouldn’t be surprised if Chapter 6 and Chapter 7 are eventually revealed at one too.
We also got new updates for Rhythm Heaven Groove and Splatoon Raiders, which are both releasing in July. Rhythm Heaven Groove is quite possibly one of the last Nintendo-published Switch 1 games, and it’s going to feature an unlockable RPG rhythm mode of sorts that hadn’t been showcased prior to the Direct. Splatoon Raiders also revealed a Splatfest collaboration with Splatoon 3 in addition to extra gameplay footage, as well as new Joy-Con 2 controllers with very subtle blue and yellow control stick rings. The controllers don’t look particularly interesting, unfortunately, but there’s a running theory that Nintendo wants to stick to the dark color scheme on Joy-Con 2 so the average consumer can more easily notice a difference between the Switch 1 and Switch 2. Star Fox, another previously-announced game, also got a demo dropped. Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave also got another trailer as well as a September release date.
While many wanted to see Persona 6 and Persona 4 Revival at the Nintendo Direct, Atlus tends to lag behind a bit on Nintendo consoles. The recent Direct proved this again, because they announced Metaphor: ReFantazio for Nintendo Switch 2 releasing in November. As a casual Persona fan myself (which of course means I’ve only played 3, 4, and 5), I definitely am planning on checking this one out – it’s received very good reception on other platforms. As long as the port job is well done, this is definitely another RPG to look forward to.
Those are just a portion of all the announcements in this Nintendo Direct. We also got Orbitals, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World, Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen, Big Walk, Devil May Cry 5: Devil Hunter Edition, Final Fantasy Resonance, Jujutsu Kaisen Rumble: Survivaton, Pikuniku 2, Ninjala 2: The Uncharted Planet (which is an exclusive!), Lies of P: Complete Edition, One Piece: Grand Gourmet, Hello Kitty Party Land, Muramasa: Revenant Blades, Stellar Blade, RuneScape: Dragonwilds, Lords of the Fallen II, Final Fantasy XIV Online, Tales of Eternia Remastered, Atelier Karia: The Night Kingdom & The Guide of Memories, Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration, Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2, SnowRunner, Observer: System Redux, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, DayZ Cool Edition, and Everbloom. That’s a lot of announcements, release dates, and more.
Games missing from the Direct
Even with all these announcements, a decent amount of fans were disappointed with Nintendo’s showing. And while Ocarina of Time is a cool confirmation alongside Xenoblade and its Nintendo Switch 2 Editions, we definitely didn’t see many other new games from Nintendo other than Nintendo Switch Sports Resort, which most core gamers probably won’t take much interest in. If you’re not a fan of RPGs, there probably wasn’t a ton that caught your interest, and that’s understandable. But it doesn’t mean that the games you want to see aren’t currently in development! Games take a very, very long time to make these days. Mario Kart World entered development for Nintendo Switch 1 in 2017, and then shifted into Switch 2 development in 2020. That’s almost eight years of development alone! Likewise, development on Donkey Kong Bananza started right after Super Mario Odyssey was completed in late 2017, and Pokemon Pokopia started development on Switch 1 in 2021. It was eventually cancelled, but revived on Nintendo Switch 2.
Right now, Nintendo Switch 2 is “missing” all-new entries in a bunch of key franchises. Super Smash Bros., a brand new Animal Crossing, mainline Zelda, and mainline Splatoon are the biggest examples, and these are all going to take a similar (if not greater) amount of time to make. Nintendo thankfully isn’t interested in speeding up game development using generative AI, and hopefully they never do gain an interest in that – but in the meantime, we have to wait for them to work their magic.
The longer these games people want aren’t revealed, the better they’ll wind up being when they finally are announced and released. Hopefully. But given how much money Smash and Animal Crossing and Zelda and Splatoon make for Nintendo, all of them absolutely have games in development right now. Nintendo likes filling up gaps in their releases with Switch 2 Editions and Nintendo Switch Online drops – in a sense, these are definitely boring, but it’s either those or nothing. We definitely don’t want Nintendo rushing their biggest releases!
At the time of writing, Nintendo has managed to release just about one new game per month, which is very impressive given how long games now take to create. They’ve outsourced Star Fox to Velan Studios, and outsourcing games in this manner is another good way to keep content coming out while big titles are in development. Compare this one-game-per-month schedule to the Wii U, for instance. It launched with New Super Mario Bros. U, which released a month or two after New Super Mario Bros. 2, so no one was particularly excited for that game. The next big Wii U release was Lego City Undercover four months later, and then Game & Wario in June two months later, Pikmin 3 and New Super Luigi U in August, The Wind Waker HD in October, and then Super Mario 3D World in November. That’s four major games from Nintendo for all of 2013, which is a much more dire situation than the situation Switch 2 is currently in.
In terms of more concrete potential announcements, it’s rumored that we’re getting a Nintendo Switch 2 version of Pikmin 4, but that was not here. Sonic Frontiers: Definitive Edition is also apparently coming this month, yet that was also absent – though it could always be a shadowdrop or a possible announcement for a Sonic Central presentation. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven R was rated for both Nintendo Switch 2 and Switch this month, yet it’s still unannounced for now.
Various other titles have either been leaked, rated, or rumored for Nintendo Switch 2. These include Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Hellraiser: Revival, Starfield, Red Dead Redemption 2, Resident Evil 2, 3, and 4 remakes, and Expedition 33. Find a roundup of what else could be coming to Nintendo Switch 2 here.
So even though this Nintendo Direct didn’t necessarily have something for everyone, it was still a decent showing. My biggest issue with it personally is that Ocarina of Time didn’t get gameplay footage, but you could argue that it was included as a surprise that was spoiled through no fault of Nintendo. The Duskbloods also had little new to show. Based on this and the overall lineup of games, announcements, and presentation, that’s how we landed on our verdict.
A Nintendo Direct was broadcast in September 2025, so it might be safe to assume another will happen this September as well. Or maybe we’ll just get all the announcements on Nintendo Today. Who knows!
In any case, what did you think of the June 2026 Nintendo Direct? Are you excited for any of its announcements, or is there something you wished were there but wasn’t? Let us know in the comments down below.
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