Nintendo has officially confirmed that its highly anticipated next Direct broadcast is finally happening on June 9, 2026, with the company expected to showcase what it has planned for the rest of 2026 and beyond. There have been no shortage of rumors surrounding Nintendo's 2026 plans as its current schedule is fairly wide open, with just a handful of confirmed games like Star Fox launching on June 25.
Fans have been eagerly anticipating a Nintendo Direct announcement, but it seems the company chose to wait for the excitement from the previous weekend to die down in order to get the full spotlight. It was a very busy weekend for the gaming industry as both Sony and Microsoft held their own showcase events, alongside Geoff Keighley's annual Summer Game Fest, which had some massive reveals like Final Fantasy 7 Revelation. With the dust finally settling after a busy weekend, Nintendo gets its chance to steal the spotlight for its Switch 2 fans.
Upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 Games For 2026 & Beyond
Splatoon, Metal Gear, and Elden Ring are just some franchises that will be releasing Switch 2 games in 2026.
Nintendo Direct June 2026 Broadcast Time
- June 9, 2026 at 7 AM PT / 10 AM ET
As it turns out, the recent Nintendo Direct rumors were indeed true, as the upcoming showcase is set for June 9, kicking off at 7 AM PT on the company's official YouTube channel as well as being available through the NIntendo Today app for smart devices. In addition, there will be a Nintendo Treehouse segment following the presentation, where games will be shown off live. Nintendo has confirmed the direct will be around 50 minutes in length, with the Treehouse portion around 95 minutes in total. All in all, it's been a lengthy wait for a new Nintendo dedicated Direct, with Nintendo typically option for game/franchise-specific or partner-only showcases as of late.
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
As to be expected, speculation has already started as to what Nintendo could show off within those 50 minutes. Unfortunately, the YouTube video's description hasn't been much help, only confirming that Nintendo will be highlighting upcoming Switch and Switch 2 games, with the Treehouse segment showcasing gameplay for select titles. Considering Star Fox has already received its own dedicated Direct, it's unlikely the game will take up much time, if any at all, outside a potential launch trailer.
As for what's left, it's possible fans might finally get their Pokopia DLC, or perhaps another trailer for 2027's Pokemon Winds and Waves. However, it seems highly likely that the Legend of Zelda franchise will show up as rumors continue to swirl over a brand-new open world game, alongside a remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Other whispers have seemingly mentioned a new 2D Metroid, a possible Pikmin 4 Switch 2 port, and even a potential Switch Sports game. It's possible that previously confirmed games like Splatoon Raiders and Fire Emblem Shadows are also given a deeper look during the showcase as well.
Guess the games from the emojis.
Guess the games from the emojis.
While Nintendo's 2026 calendar is fairly bare at the moment, the content release schedule as a whole is much more jam-packed than it would be traditionally thanks in large part to Grand Theft Auto 6 launching in November. Many studios have instead been targeting September and October in an effort to avoid Rockstar's latest title entirely, which has caused those two months to become stacked with major releases.