Nintendo confirmed a dense slate of Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch software during its September 9, 2026 Direct, headlined by two new first-party adventures – Metroid Ravenous and Kirby and the World Beyond – alongside enhanced editions of Pikmin 4 and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, plus major third-party releases including Final Fantasy VII Revelation, Monster Hunter Wilds and Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, according to Nintendo.
Here’s the context: Nintendo pointed viewers to the full presentation at nintendo.com/us/nintendo-direct, and the showcase ranged well beyond the two headline reveals – it covered new games, expanded editions of existing titles, live-service updates, and an addition to the Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics library. Both Metroid Ravenous and Kirby and the World Beyond were confirmed as exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2, a notable commitment given how much of the rest of the lineup still supports the original Switch. For readers tracking Nintendo’s broader software pipeline, our coverage of the Ocarina of Time remake and recent Bubbly Basin expansion breakdown fill in adjacent parts of that roadmap.
Honestly, the two reveals that matter most here are the ones Nintendo built internally. Metroid Ravenous puts Samus Aran back in a 2D action-adventure framework Nintendo describes as intense, and it’s a Switch 2 exclusive rather than a cross-gen release – a signal Nintendo wants this one tied specifically to the new hardware rather than serving as a bridge title. Kirby and the World Beyond carries similar weight, arriving in spring 2027 to coincide with the series’ 35th anniversary, and it’s the more ambitious swing of the two given its promise of free exploration across an expansive 3D world. Everything else in the Direct – even genuinely major announcements like Final Fantasy VII Revelation closing out the remake trilogy – is either a continuation of an existing commitment or a third-party port, which makes the two Nintendo-built exclusives the clearest markers of where the company is spending its own development resources.
Metroid Ravenous and Kirby and the World Beyond: Nintendo describes Metroid Ravenous as an intense new 2D action adventure starring Samus Aran, coming exclusively to Nintendo Switch 2. Kirby and the World Beyond lets players freely explore an expansive world and put Kirby’s Copy Abilities to creative use, and it’s set for a spring 2027 release that lines up with the franchise’s 35th anniversary. Neither game received a specific calendar date beyond those windows in Nintendo’s presentation.
Enhanced editions and new content: Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity – Definitive Edition launches February 25, 2027, bundling all existing Expansion Pass content with enhanced visuals, a higher frame rate, more enemies on screen, and a new ultra-tough Calamity Mode. Owners of the original Nintendo Switch version can transfer their save data and buy the digital Switch 2 edition at a discount through Nintendo eShop. Pikmin 4 – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Dandori Academy adds new features to that game, while Nintendo Switch Sports Resort and Xenoblade Chronicles 3 – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition both got new gameplay footage. Nintendo also confirmed new content for the Pokémon Pokopia Expansion Pass, Mario Kart World, and Star Fox, and said Star Fox Adventures would join the Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics library later on the day of the Direct.
Final Fantasy VII Revelation, Monster Hunter Wilds and other third-party heavy hitters: Final Fantasy VII Revelation is the third and final entry in the Final Fantasy VII remake project, closing a story Nintendo frames as the culmination of 30 years of world-building, and it launches for Nintendo Switch 2 on April 8, 2027. Monster Hunter Wilds was among the presentation’s highlighted titles, though Nintendo’s rundown didn’t attach an additional release date or feature breakdown beyond confirming its inclusion. Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis was billed as a modern reimagining of Lara Croft’s original 1996 adventure, while Persona 6 and Persona 4 Revival were both announced without release dates. Capcom also brought MECCHA CHAMELEON, Mega Man: Dual Override, and three survival-horror releases – Resident Evil 2 Deluxe Edition, Resident Evil 3, and Resident Evil 4 Gold Edition – into the same showcase.
Release calendar to watch: Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave launches exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2 on September 17, with pre-orders already live on Nintendo eShop. LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight follows a day later on September 18. FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves arrives digitally October 22, with a physical release planned for January 2027, and its Starter Edition folds in Mikey and Draken from Tokyo Revengers as guest fighters alongside previously released DLC. Disney Dreamlight Valley: The Keepsake Sea is set for November, Danganronpa 2×2 for January 14, 2027, Eternal Anima for March 4, 2027, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Royal Edition sometime in 2027.
Additional Switch 2 announcements: Cairn got a same-day free demo on Nintendo eShop ahead of its early-2027 Switch 2 launch, and Crisis Core –Final Fantasy VII– Reunion arrived on Switch 2 the same day with an HD overhaul, full English and Japanese voice acting, an updated combat system, and a newly arranged soundtrack from original composer Takeharu Ishimoto. Danganronpa 2×2 pairs a visually enhanced version of Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair with an entirely new mystery set in the same world. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Royal Edition bundles the base game with all premium story expansions, exclusive gear, and a bonus questline.
Mario Kart World and Kirby Air Riders updates: A free Mario Kart World update, live the same day as the Direct, resurrects ten Super Mario Kart courses – including Choco Island, Vanilla Lake, and Ghost Valley – as standalone VS Race tracks complete with the original’s item-granting ? Panels. The update also adds two new Knockout Tour routes, Propeller Rally and Turnip Rally, plus a Spectator Mode for online play with friends or LAN Play. Separately, the Kirby Air Riders amiibo lineup wraps up on November 12 with Sword Kirby & Dragoon and Noir Dedede & Hydra, and Nintendo teased an upcoming in-game event that will refresh the main menu and Paddock, with more details promised later.
The full rundown also touched on titles that didn’t get extended treatment in the presentation but are confirmed for release: Pokémon Pokopia Expansion Pass content, additional Star Fox updates, and the broader Resident Evil and Persona releases mentioned above round out a lineup that spans nearly every major first- and third-party category Nintendo touches.
What to watch: The next concrete dates on the calendar are Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave on September 17 and LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight on September 18, followed by FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves on October 22 and Disney Dreamlight Valley: The Keepsake Sea in November. From there, Danganronpa 2×2 on January 14, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity – Definitive Edition on February 25, Eternal Anima on March 4, and Final Fantasy VII Revelation on April 8 – all 2027 – give collectors and completionists a clear sequence to plan around. Nintendo hasn’t said when it will share more on the teased Kirby Air Riders event, so that detail remains open.
Which of these exclusives is pulling you toward a Switch 2 purchase you’d otherwise have held off on, and does the density of enhanced editions change how you’ll prioritize your backlog going into 2027?
