Nintendo has confirmed a mammoth-sized Direct presentation for Friday, as rumours heat up around Metroid Prime 4 and Pokémon.
After weeks of speculation, Nintendo has announced its next Nintendo Direct presentation will take place later this week.
As announced on the Nintendo Today app (and later via X), the showcase will be held on Friday, September 12 at 2pm UK time on its YouTube channel.
The presentation will span ‘roughly 60 minutes’ and cover Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch games. While no games are specifically mentioned, the show’s length suggests it will cover both first and third party titles.
One of the big questions is whether we’ll get an update for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. The title is slated for 2025 but unlike Pokémon Legends Z-A and Kirby Air Riders, it hasn’t been given a specific release date yet.
Nintendo will almost certainly show it in some capacity, perhaps announcing its released date, but given how it handled Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza a dedicated Metroid Direct, at a later date, is likely.
The other elephant in the room is the 40th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. on the NES. Nintendo went surprisingly hard on the 35th anniversary, with Super Mario 3D All-Stars collections and Super Mario Bros. 35, so it’s expected the company will do something equally big, if not more so, for the 40th anniversary.
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The timing of the presentation suggests this will be the case too. Nintendo Directs typically take place one Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays, so this Friday date, which is one day before the anniversary on September 13, is very unusual.
As possibly the last general Nintendo Direct of the year, we could also see a glimpse at what’s coming in 2026. We already know about Splatoon Raiders, but the Super Mario Bros. anniversary connection could tee up the next 3D Mario in a closing stinger – with many fans suspecting a tie-in to the new movie in the spring.
There have been rumours of another Pokémon spin-off too, although considering past spin-offs veer from sleeping apps to things like Pokémon Café ReMix, there’s no guarantee it’ll be interesting.
As for what else could be shown, there is still no release date for Elden Ring or Final Fantasy 7 Remake on the Switch 2. An update on Hades 2, which has been in early access on PC but is set to launch on Switch 2 before other consoles, could also appear.
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