My Predictions for the September 2026 Nintendo Direct

It's another day, which apparently means it's time for another Nintendo Direct prediction article. We had The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct yesterday, and Nintendo is immediately coming back for more with a brand-new 45-minute Nintendo Direct tomorrow, because apparently one Direct in a week wasn't enough.

And there is a lot Nintendo could show here. September Directs have traditionally been some of Nintendo's biggest presentations of the year, particularly since E3 disappeared. Tears of the Kingdom was revealed during one, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door was revealed during one, Kirby and the Forgotten Land was revealed during one and Bayonetta 3 finally properly resurfaced during one.

So historically, this is the time of year when Nintendo likes dropping something big. The last couple of Directs haven't necessarily had the greatest reception, even if I've personally found plenty to enjoy in them. Outside of Ocarina of Time, though, there still isn't that obvious upcoming game that screams "you need a Switch 2 for this."

Nintendo's 2027 slate is still pretty bare too. We know about games like Xenoblade Genesis and Pokémon Wind and Waves, but beyond that there is still an enormous amount of space to fill. So, after somehow coming up with 32 predictions, what do I think we're actually going to see?

Xenoblade Genesis — 50%

I'm starting with Xenoblade Genesis, and this is a proper "depends if Nintendo feels like it" prediction for me. We got a boatload of Xenoblade information during the previous Direct, including the Switch 2 Editions of the older games and the reveal of Genesis itself. Because of that, I could quite easily see Nintendo letting this Direct pass without touching it.

My guess is that Xenoblade gets its proper blowout around February instead, potentially ahead of a summer release. Xenoblade 3 launched in July, while Definitive Edition was around that late spring/early summer area, so that feels like a pretty natural window for Genesis too.

Could we get another teaser tomorrow? Absolutely. Do we need one already? Probably not.

A New Super Smash Bros. — 20%

I would absolutely love this, but I'm not convinced. The big question is what Masahiro Sakurai is actually doing. If he's developing another Smash Bros. from the ground up and personally leading the project like usual, I can't see it being ready to show here. If, however, Nintendo has managed to build another team around the series while Sakurai has been working elsewhere, things get considerably more interesting.

It's been five years since Sora arrived as the final DLC character for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. We've had the odd patch since then, including Switch 2 support, but realistically there has been plenty of time for some sort of new Smash project to begin development.

Smash has also historically arrived fairly early in a Nintendo console's life, but something about tomorrow just doesn't feel like Smash to me. There is another Nintendo franchise further down this list that I think has a much better chance of being the massive show-closing announcement.

As much as it pains me, Smash is going firmly into the copium category.

Clair Obscur on Nintendo Switch 2 — 75%

This feels like a really strong third-party announcement. Clair Obscur has obviously become an enormous success, picked up plenty of awards and established itself as one of the biggest RPG releases around. Nintendo is clearly making an effort to improve Switch 2's third-party library too. We've already got games like Metaphor, 007 First Light and plenty of other traditionally PlayStation/Xbox-heavy releases finding their way onto the system.

Clair Obscur would fit perfectly. Whether the developers had access to Switch 2 hardware early enough is another question, but if the port exists, a Nintendo Direct feels like exactly where you'd announce it.

Mega Man Override — 75%

I'd be quite surprised if Mega Man Override doesn't appear in some form. We already know it's coming next year, and it has been far too long since we've had some proper Mega Man representation in a Nintendo Direct. Whether it gets a full trailer or just gets thrown into a larger montage of upcoming third-party releases is another matter, but either way, I think we've got a strong chance here. And I'll happily take any excuse Nintendo gives me to see more Mega Man.

Nintendo Switch Online Update — 50%

This one massively depends on what happens during the Zelda Direct. If Twilight Princess gets announced for GameCube Nintendo Switch Online there, like I've predicted, Nintendo probably doesn't need another major GameCube update literally 24 hours later. But this prediction could really apply to any of the classic systems. We still haven't got Super Smash Bros. on N64, for example, and Nintendo always has the option of filling out the libraries with another handful of games.

What I don't expect is another brand-new system. Nintendo DS eventually feels inevitable, but we're nowhere near that point yet. Nintendo will probably squeeze everything it can out of the existing classic libraries before it starts trying to work out how on Earth dual-screen DS games are supposed to work properly.

A Brand-New 3D Mario — 70%

Here we go, one of the big ones. There is a very strong chance we finally see the next 3D Mario tomorrow. If Nintendo wants one game that immediately convinces another few million people to buy a Switch 2, this is probably it. We've got Mario Kart. We've got other major Nintendo franchises on the way. Eventually, the next proper 3D Mario has to arrive. And it's been long enough.

The only thing stopping me putting this even higher is that something about it doesn't quite feel right. I don't know why, but a new 3D Mario almost feels like a February Direct announcement to me, particularly if Nintendo plans on releasing it later in 2027. But if this thing is coming in the first six months of next year? It almost has to appear tomorrow.

There is also Pokémon Wind and Waves to consider. Pokémon tends to dominate Nintendo's holiday schedules, and we've rarely seen Nintendo launch a major 3D Mario and mainline Pokémon game on the same console in the same holiday window. So perhaps Mario gets the first half of 2027 while Pokémon takes the second.

Whatever happens, if something enormous closes tomorrow's Direct, 3D Mario is my favourite to do it.

Luigi's Mansion 4 — 50%

I would absolutely love this. It has been seven years since Luigi's Mansion 3, and Next Level Games hasn't released a new game since Mario Strikers: Battle League five years ago. So what are they doing?Luigi's Mansion 4 feels inevitable at some point. The only thing making me hesitant is that I don't know if Nintendo would reveal a new 3D Mario and Luigi's Mansion during the same Direct. That's a lot of major Mario content at once.

But they could absolutely coexist in the same year. Maybe Mario launches around March or June and Luigi gets his usual spooky October window. More importantly, where do you even take Luigi's Mansion next? The first game gave us a mansion, the second gave us several mansions and the third gave us an entire hotel. A train? An island? A cruise ship? Give Luigi an entire haunted holiday resort and let him suffer. Damn, I sound like I hate the guy!

Nintendo Switch Sports 2 — 95%

This feels as close to guaranteed as anything on the list. I'd expect another trailer, maybe an overview and potentially some information about post-launch content, updates or whatever Nintendo has planned for the next few months. The original Switch Sports sold an absolute boatload despite all the discourse around it, so Nintendo clearly knows there's a massive casual audience for another one.

I'm particularly interested in how much more freedom the sequel gives us. We've got all these different activities around Wuhu Island, but just let me explore the place. Give me a little free-roam mode where I can wander around, find things, mess about and actually exist on Wuhu Island rather than only seeing it as the backdrop for different sports. That's probably more exciting to me than half the actual sports.

A New Ace Attorney — 60%

I've heard enough rumblings about a new Ace Attorney that I'm willing to put this slightly above 50/50. It's been quite a while since the last genuinely new entry, and Switch 2 would be a pretty good place for Capcom to bring the series back. Nintendo Directs have also always been a natural home for Ace Attorney announcements. I'm not expecting this to be one of the massive centrepieces of the show, but as one of those lovely mid-Direct surprises? Absolutely.

Resident Evil 2, 3 and 4 Remakes — 50%

Another Capcom prediction. Switch 2 is already building a considerably stronger Resident Evil library, so why stop there? The obvious next move would be bringing the modern remakes of Resident Evil 2, 3 and 4 across. Whether Capcom dumps all three onto the platform together or drip-feeds them throughout 2027, I don't really care. They're exactly the kind of games that help sell the idea that Switch 2 can finally get versions of major modern third-party games without the enormous compromises we saw before. This feels possible rather than inevitable.

Hollow Knight: Silksong – Sea of Sorrow — 40%

We know Team Cherry plans on releasing Sea of Sorrow this year, and we're quickly running out of year, so it could absolutely appear tomorrow. The problem is that this feels like something that could just as easily happen at The Game Awards. Team Cherry also doesn't exactly need six months of marketing. If it's ready, I can genuinely imagine them showing a trailer and saying, "Yeah, it's out in two weeks." Which would be extremely Silksong. I'm putting it slightly below 50/50 purely because December feels like a very realistic alternative.

GTA VI on Nintendo Switch 2 — 5%

Keep dreaming, buddy. Maybe eventually, but tomorrow? Absolutely not. Especially if Nintendo has a huge game like Ocarina of Time occupying a similar part of the year. Nintendo isn't going to spend part of its big September showcase promoting GTA VI when it has its own games it wants everyone talking about. And realistically, anyone desperate to play GTA VI probably isn't sitting there waiting for a Switch 2 version anyway.

If it happens several years down the line as one of those "HOW THE HELL IS THIS RUNNING ON A NINTENDO?" announcements, fantastic. Just not tomorrow.

Yoshiaki Koizumi Does Something Meme-Worthy — 95%

Lock it in. If Koizumi is hosting this Direct, something stupid is happening.

We've had the weird Switch 2 weapon moment. We've had him doing whatever that dance was during the WarioWare section. Every now and then, Koizumi just decides to give us a little moment.

And I love it.

He's been presenting these things for years now and still has that slightly chaotic energy that Nintendo could frankly use more of. Give me one Koizumi meme tomorrow. That's all I ask.

A New Star Fox Adventures-Style Game — 50%

We've had enough rumours around Star Fox recently that I'm keeping this alive. The original Star Fox remake has already brought the franchise back into people's minds, and we've heard suggestions that another game could take things in a different direction. Something more in the vein of Star Fox Adventures would be really interesting.

The only thing holding me back is timing. Star Fox only returned a few months ago, so Nintendo could easily give that release some breathing room and save the next announcement for February instead. But imagine getting a little Star Fox update tomorrow, followed by: "Oh, and one more thing..."

Brand-new Star Fox Adventures. I'd take it.

A New Kirby Game — 75%

Kirby is basically inevitable in Nintendo Directs at this point. That pink little bastard is always doing something. It's been four years since Forgotten Land and three since Return to Dream Land Deluxe. We had the Switch 2 version of Forgotten Land, but I can't imagine that consumed the entire development team. So yes, I think another mainline Kirby is coming.

My guess would probably be another 2D game, but I'd be considerably more excited by another 3D entry. Forgotten Land is one of my favourite Kirby games alongside Planet Robobot, and there's still so much potential in that format. Speaking of Robobot, that long-rumoured HD version still hasn't appeared either. The problem there is that it feels like something that should also release on Switch 1 rather than being a major Switch 2 title. Either way, Kirby appears somewhere feels like one of my stronger predictions.

Metroid 6 — 85%

I'm going out on a limb here. I think Metroid 6 opens the Direct.

We've had those Metroid 6 rumours floating around, and it's been five years since Metroid Dread. MercurySteam hasn't exactly been flooding the market with other releases in that time either. Meanwhile, Metroid Prime 4 has now had its moment. Nine months have passed, that ship has sailed, crashed into something and sunk to the bottom of the ocean.

It's time to get back on the 2D Metroid hype train. Whether it's called Metroid 6, Metroid Ravenous or something completely different, I think revealing the next game now would go ridiculously hard. And it fits Nintendo's scheduling too. Metroid feels like an excellent February/March/April sort of release. One of those strong games Nintendo uses around the end of the financial year before the summer releases start arriving.

Could Metroid close the show? Absolutely. But I think Nintendo has something even bigger saved for that.

Another Nintendo Switch 2 Edition — 90%

We're definitely getting at least one of these, surely. The question is what game. Mario & Luigi: Brothership? Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door?

Personally, I'm joining the people predicting Pikmin 4 – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. We've already had an update for Pikmin 4 and we've seen Nintendo upgrade older games with fairly straightforward resolution and performance improvements. Give Pikmin 4 the same treatment but add a little bit of extra content too. Three or four more hours, a bonus campaign, stick Louie somewhere, I don't care.

And most importantly: Oatchi amiibo. Please. Give me an Oatchi amiibo and nobody gets hurt.

A New Wario Land or WarioWare — 60%

I think there's a decent chance Wario appears somewhere. We've had rumblings for a while about Wario Land potentially coming back, which would be fantastic considering how long it's been since the last one. Wario Land: Shake Dimension is nearly 20 years old. That's disgusting.

The big question is who develops it. Good-Feel has been occupied with Yoshi, so perhaps Nintendo has another studio in mind. Alternatively, another WarioWare feels entirely possible. Those games don't seem to take five years to produce, and Switch 2 could desperately use another fun multiplayer game built specifically around its features.

Either one would make me happy. Wario Land would make me considerably happier.

Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave — 95%

We're seeing Fire Emblem. The game is basically here. I'm expecting a final reminder of what Fortune's Weave actually is, maybe another trailer and possibly some information about post-launch plans.

Do we get amiibo? Maybe. Do we get DLC? Also maybe.

I haven't watched every piece of information Nintendo has released about this thing, so I'm probably going to sit there tomorrow and act shocked at something everyone else has known for three weeks. But yes, it'll be there.

Final Fantasy VII Revelation — 75%

Why wouldn't it be? This thing appears at seemingly every presentation known to mankind.

Gamescom? There. State of Play? There. Nintendo Direct? Sure. Why not. Switch 2 is clearly becoming a major part of Square Enix's plans, so another reminder that Final Fantasy VII is coming across makes complete sense. I'm expecting this to occupy about 90 seconds before moving onto something else.

Ring Fit Adventure 2 — 15%

Here it is, my copium. I want Ring Fit Adventure 2, damn it. Bring Dragaux back. Give me another ridiculous fitness campaign, new exercises, new environments, new accessories, amiibo, whatever you've got. The original Ring Fit Adventure sold an absurd number of copies and somehow became one of my most-played games on Switch, so there is absolutely an audience for another one.

The problem is that Switch Sports 2 already seems to be occupying that wider casual/fitness-adjacent space. It also feels like exactly the kind of game Nintendo would reveal completely randomly through Nintendo Today on a Tuesday morning rather than using a massive Direct slot.

Do I expect it tomorrow? No. Do I still want it? YES.

Some Horrendous AI Slop — 100%

Guaranteed. On God. Lock this bad boy in. At some point during these 45 minutes, we're going to see some absolutely horrendous-looking game where everyone watching collectively asks: "Why is Nintendo showing this?" It'll look vaguely AI-generated, it'll probably be some farming game or generic multiplayer thing and there will be approximately seven people playing it three weeks after launch.

Then you realise whoever made it has probably paid Nintendo an enormous amount of money to be there and everything suddenly makes sense. It's basically part of the Nintendo Direct experience now.

Super Mario Maker 3 — 50%

This one makes so much sense mechanically. It's been seven years since Super Mario Maker 2, we've now had Super Mario Bros. Wonder, which gives Nintendo an entirely new game style it could incorporate, and Switch 2 has mouse controls. Mario Maker with mouse controls. Come on. That's practically begging to happen.

The only thing making me hesitate is the same problem I have with Luigi's Mansion 4: if Nintendo is revealing a brand-new 3D Mario tomorrow, how many other major Mario games does it really want to announce alongside it? If 3D Mario isn't there, Mario Maker 3 suddenly becomes considerably more likely.

Spyro: Realm Beyond — 70%

This feels extremely likely. Spyro's own account has already been teasing a surprise for September 9, which just happens to be Direct day.

Very subtle. We've only had the initial reveal so far, so tomorrow would be a perfect opportunity for the proper blowout. Give us another trailer, more gameplay, an overview of what the game actually is and, most importantly, the release date. This is already one of my most anticipated upcoming games, so I'll happily take whatever they give us.

The Duskbloods — 95%

The Duskbloods will be there. I don't even think this one needs much explaining. It's one of the bigger upcoming Switch 2 exclusives and a game Nintendo will absolutely want to remind people exists. Whether we get another substantial trailer or just a shorter appearance remains to be seen, but I'd be very surprised if we make it through 45 minutes without seeing it somewhere.

That Blue Rodent — 15%

I don't think Sonic is doing anything particularly exciting tomorrow. I'd love to be wrong. We're still technically in the 35th anniversary celebrations and we still don't really know what the next major Sonic project is, but September's Nintendo Direct doesn't feel like the place where Sega finally reveals it.

We could potentially get a reminder about upcoming DLC or character updates, but that's about as far as I'm willing to go. If we're talking about the next proper Sonic game, The Game Awards feels considerably more likely. But it's Sonic. He'll probably turn up somewhere purely to spite me for putting him this low.

Splatoon Raiders DLC — 75%

I think Splatoon Raiders has a strong chance of getting something. Whether that's actual DLC, free updates, new costumes, challenges or some other form of post-launch content remains to be seen. I don't expect another mainline Splatoon for quite a while, so Nintendo has every reason to keep Raiders active in the meantime. A roadmap showing what players can expect over the next few months would make plenty of sense.

Pokémon Wind and Waves — 20%

No, I don't think we're seeing much, if anything, from Pokémon Wind and Waves tomorrow.

Pokémon likes doing its own thing. If anything Pokémon-related appears, I'd actually expect more information about Pokopia rather than the next mainline release. Nintendo doesn't need to steal Pokémon's thunder when The Pokémon Company can just hold another presentation whenever it fancies.

Mario Kart World DLC — 20%

Depends what we're calling DLC. Do I think we're getting another trailer revealing the next couple of Knockout Tours or free updates? Absolutely possible. Do I think Nintendo is about to announce a giant paid DLC package full of new tracks? No. My guess is Nintendo works through the existing Knockout Tour content first and saves a proper expansion for much later, perhaps around the game's second anniversary.

Then it can suddenly drop a ridiculous amount of tracks on us and make everybody buy another pass. For tomorrow, though, I'm keeping expectations low.

A New Mario Sports Game — 50%

This is another proper 50/50. We've had tennis recently, but it doesn't seem to have set the world on fire commercially. So what comes next?

Basketball? Baseball? Football?

Nintendo has plenty of sports it could revisit. The bigger issue is Switch 2's install base. Not everyone has upgraded yet, particularly the more casual audience these games often target. Nintendo might want to wait another year before throwing another big Mario Sports game onto the system. But if one suddenly appears tomorrow, I won't exactly be shocked.

Kingdom Hearts IV — 70%

Yeah, why not? We've already seen more of Kingdom Hearts IV recently, and we know Nintendo is getting considerably more Kingdom Hearts support. With the earlier games heading to Switch 2 as well, another appearance showing Kingdom Hearts IV running on the system feels completely plausible.

It's another one of those announcements that strengthens Nintendo's third-party lineup without needing to dominate the presentation. And let's be honest, Kingdom Hearts fans have spent long enough trying to work out what the hell is happening anyway. Give them another trailer to analyse frame-by-frame.

Nintendogs — 15%

And finally, we arrive at pure, concentrated copium. Bring back Nintendogs. Please. It actually makes too much sense. Switch 2 has a camera. You could have the dogs recognise your face, recognise your voice and react to you moving around. You could bundle the game with the camera and immediately sell approximately twelve billion copies to people who haven't bought a Nintendo game since 2008.

Nintendogs was absolutely enormous. How have Nintendo just left this franchise sitting there? Will tomorrow finally be the day? Probably not. But I refuse to give up.

So, What Do I Actually Think Is Happening?

Obviously, Nintendo isn't announcing all 32 of these things. If I had to narrow tomorrow down to the announcements I feel strongest about, Metroid 6 is my prediction to open the show, while a brand-new 3D Mario feels like the most obvious candidate to close it.

Between those two, I think there's a really strong chance we see another Kirby game, Spyro: Realm Beyond, Nintendo Switch Sports 2, Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave, The Duskbloods, another Switch 2 Edition and a healthy pile of third-party games. There will also inevitably be something absolutely nobody predicted. That's Nintendo.

Maybe it's Smash Bros. Maybe it's Luigi's Mansion 4. Maybe it's Nintendogs. Maybe Koizumi walks onto the screen dressed as Waluigi and announces Wii Music 2. Who knows? That's the fun of these things.

We've got 45 minutes tomorrow, which is considerably longer than the Zelda presentation, and Nintendo's 2027 schedule is still wide open enough that there almost has to be something substantial waiting for. So my final big prediction is simple: Metroid 6 opens, and something Mario related closes.

Everything in between? Let's hope it's a Direct worth waiting for.