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Here’s all of the best upcoming Switch 2 game releases: Donkey Kong, Metroid, Pokemon, James Bond, more

It it’s time to take a look at the upcoming Switch 2 game release schedule. The Switch 2 is clearly off to a wonderful start in terms of sales and Mario Kart World has (mostly) been a big hit among gamers, but despite Switch 2 delivering a more or less solid launch lineup as far as new console launches go, there still feels like something is missing for me. That said, there are some wonderful upgraded Switch 1 games to enjoy and whole host of notable titles on the horizon, both this year and next. 

Upcoming Switch 2 game releases

Mario Kart World aside, the first-party Switch 2 launch game lineup is thin at best. It is mostly made up of upgraded versions of games that released many years ago – some even on Wii U like Breath of the Wild, and the whole situation is leaving me wanting for more…much more. 

But don’t get me wrong, it’s not all bad by any means. The latest Nintendo Direct showcase just took the new 3D Mario Odyssey-like Donkey Kong Bananza from “this could be alright” to “I’m super stoked for this now.” I truly did not think Bananza was going to be a game I’m waiting for and highly anticipating, but it only took Nintendo 15 minutes at this week’s dedicated DK Direct to change my mind, and the game is now less than 1 month away from landing in my Switch 2. 

I still think Nintendo has some work to do, or rather just to finally tease us with some seriously big-ticket first-party titles to really amp up the Switch 2 library, but there are some big-time titles still on the way and you can scope out the highlights down below:

Donkey Kong Bananza
A cartoon character in a city

That’s not a bad little lineup of titles with confirmed release dates. But there are also a solid selection of other highlights already confirmed for Switch 2…just without a hard date as of yet. We know Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is almost certainly releasing this year and we there’s a very good chance we can say the same for Borderlands 4:

  • Metroid Prime 4: Beyond – releases 2025
  • Drag X Drive – releases summer 2025
  • Kirby Air Riders – releases 2025
  • Elden Ring – Tarnished Edition – releases 2025
  • Borderlands 4 – releases 2025
  • Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment – releases 2025
  • Hades 2 – releases 2025
  • Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade – releases 2025
  • The Duskbloods – releases 2026
  • James Bond 007 First Light – releases 2026
  • Enter The Gungeon 2 – release date unknown
  • Professor Layton and the New World of Steam – release date unknown
  • Splatoon Raiders – release date unknown

All-in-all, that’s not the worst collection of all but imminent releases. There’s still no proper Mario games, or any signs of a new Zelda game, but those are probably both more than a ways off still – likely something closer to late 2026 and 2027 at this point if we had to guess. We are also expecting another influx of third-party games from the likes of Ubisoft and Activision, but we will likely find out more about all of those come September’s Direct showcase. And don’t forget about all of the GameCube Switch Online titles Nintendo has already confirmed as well – Super Mario Sunshine, Super Mario Strikers, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, Luigi’s Mansion, Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness, Pokemon Colosseum, and Chibi-Robo. 


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Avatar for Justin Kahn Justin Kahn

Justin is a senior deal Jedi over at 9to5Toys where he heads up our game/app coverage and more. He also covers all things music for 9to5Mac, including the weekly Logic Pros series exploring music production on Mac and iOS devices