Nintendo didn’t just announce the major Nintendo Direct we are waiting for, but most assume it’s coming and several industry insiders are suggesting it’s going to be bigger than World 4 in SMB3. I’m not so certain, but there is a very good chance, based on leaks, rumors, and historical analysis, that something big is coming from the Mario Zelda maker.
When is the next Nintendo Direct?
Well, no one really knows outside of Nintendo HQ (and, presumably, that Nabbit who’s been leaking all of Nintendo’s secrets for the last 3 months). However, insiders and those in the know are expecting a June Direct, and for good reason – we almost almost always gt some kind of big Nintendo showcase in June, or at least for the last 3 or 4 years.
Is there going to be a Nintendo Direct in June?
Again, we aren’t 100% sure, but just about all signs are pointing to yes. Summer Game Fest is in June, the massive PlayStation summer game State of Play showcase is in June, and the Xbox 2026 Games Showcase hits on Sunday June 7 this year. Nintendo just has to get in on the action…Right?
Historically speaking, or, again, for the last few years, Nintendo has very much graced us with a Direct of some kind:
- In 2022 we got a Nintendo Direct Mini: Partner Showcase (please don’t do tis Nintendo) and a dedicated Xenoblade Chronicles 3 show.
- In 2023, Nintendo delivered a full-on proper Nintendo Direct showcase (please do this again this year).
- In 2024, we once again saw a proper Nintendo Direct for the second year in a row.
- And in 2025, DK and the gang were center stage for what was a very much impressive, if not slightly disappointing just because it wasn’t loaded with more than one AAA Switch 2 title, dedicated Donkey Kong Bananza showcase.
- And in 2026….
Nintendo is not an official partner at Summer Game Fest per se, but based on the data above, one can only assume we will see a major showcase in the coming weeks and likely somewhere in the mid to late June timeframe.
Starting in 2023 it looked like we were on course for a proper Direct every June, but everything changed in 2025 with the launch of Switch 2 – there was a Direct presentation months before that dedicated to the console, and it, for the most part, makes sense Nintendo would want what ended up being its big console-selling adventure game front and center in the ever-important and highly-anticipated summer showcase slot.
But, we are a year on now, and we still haven’t got what many would consider a proper, fully-loaded Switch 2 Direct since the console launched, and one could make a very good argument that it’s about time. However, there are a few things to consider here: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake, and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake.
If Nintendo is indeed readying the The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake as its big holiday game, and there is a special edition Ocarina of Time remake Switch 2 in the holster, and there is indeed no new 3D Mario game coming in 2026, you might also be able to make a case that a dedicated showcase is more justified than ever before.
Does Nintendo really have enough in the warp pipe to fill an entire hour that won’t just feel like we are waiting for the Zelda remake the entire internet already assumes is coming?
If the leaks and rumors are true, and especially if there is a new Ocarina of Time console in the works, the Hero of Time might very well take the spotlight next month…all of it.
I personally would prefer a full-fledged Direct, loaded with all sort of games, that also just happens to cap off with a major…and one more Hylian remake thing…but if this remake is real, and Nintendo is ready to unveil, it seems very possible a dedicated showcase is what we are in for.
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