Nintendo Direct September 9: all the biggest Switch 2 announcements

Nintendo's September 9 Direct filled out the Switch 2 lineup for the end of 2026 and early 2027. There were plenty of ports, upgrades and release dates, but only two completely new Nintendo games: Metroid Ravenous and Kirby and the World Beyond.

The rest of the show gave Switch 2 a much broader third-party calendar. Monster Hunter Wilds, Persona 6, Final Fantasy VII Revelation, Resident Evil and several other major series are now heading to Nintendo's hardware, alongside updates for games already available.

Here are the biggest announcements from the Direct.

Metroid Ravenous is a new 2D Metroid game coming exclusively to Switch 2 on January 28, 2027. Samus is stranded on an unknown moon and can absorb energy from enemies using new Metroid-like abilities. Nintendo showed her moving through a large interconnected environment while five hunters repeatedly tracked her down.

The reveal leaned heavily into the idea that Samus is both hunter and prey. Absorbing energy feeds directly into combat and exploration, while the pursuing enemies add another threat as you move through the world.

Nintendo is releasing a Special Edition alongside the standard game, with new Samus and Chozo Statue amiibo arriving on the same day. The release is unusually close to the reveal. Instead of announcing Ravenous years in advance, Nintendo has given it less than five months between its first trailer and launch.

Kirby and the World Beyond closed the Direct and launches in spring 2027, around Kirby's 35th anniversary.

Nintendo describes it as a 3D adventure built around an "expansive world" that Kirby can explore freely while using his Copy Abilities. It has not called the game open-world, so for now it is better treated as a larger and less restricted evolution of Kirby and the Forgotten Land.

Forgotten Land moved Kirby fully into 3D but still divided its adventure into individual stages. World Beyond appears to open those spaces up considerably, with much larger areas visible in the reveal.

Nintendo has not shown enough yet to explain exactly how the world is structured, but Kirby is clearly moving beyond the more linear format of his previous 3D game.

Monster Hunter Wilds launches on Switch 2 on December 4, 2026. The Switch 2 version includes the Title Updates already released on other platforms, wireless local play and full cross-platform multiplayer. Capcom's Ascendance expansion will follow in 2027.

Getting Wilds onto Switch 2 is a significant technical test for the system. It is one of Capcom's largest current-generation games, with large environments, changing weather and busy hunts that were designed around much more powerful hardware than the original Switch.

Cross-play also means you will not be separated from friends on PlayStation, Xbox or PC if you choose the Switch 2 version. Nintendo did not provide a detailed performance breakdown during the Direct, so frame rate and image quality remain worth watching before launch.

Persona 6 is officially coming to Switch 2. Nintendo did not show much of the game itself and there is still no release date, but the platform confirmation alone closes one of the larger questions around Atlus' next RPG.

The series spent years largely avoiding Nintendo hardware before Persona 5 Royal finally reached Switch in 2022. Switch 2 will not have to wait for a late port of the next mainline entry.

Persona 4 Revival received a more concrete update during the same presentation, with its Switch 2 release now dated. For Persona 6, the next thing we need is the game itself rather than another logo.

Final Fantasy VII Revelation arrives on Switch 2 in April 2027. The third and final game in Square Enix's remake trilogy had already been announced, so the Direct mainly supplied the Switch 2 release window and opened pre-orders.

Switch 2 owners will get the conclusion alongside the other platforms rather than waiting for a later version. Square Enix added another Final Fantasy VII release immediately after the presentation as well. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion is now available on Switch 2.

Together with Persona 6 and Monster Hunter Wilds, it continues a clear change from the original Switch era. More major Japanese third-party releases are arriving on Nintendo hardware without years of delay.

Nintendo is bringing three Switch games to Switch 2 with new content and technical upgrades:

These are not new games or remastered versions, but the same games you already know with some extra improvements and new content.

Mario Kart World received a free update immediately after the Direct, adding ten classic Super Mario Kart courses as standalone VS races, two new Knockout Tour routes and a Spectator Mode. It gives one of Switch 2's biggest launch games a little more to do without waiting for a larger expansion.

Star Fox is getting a smaller update of its own on September 29. The expanded Battle Mode adds four-player local multiplayer and three new stages, while Star Fox Adventures has now joined the GameCube library through Nintendo Classics.

Beyond the bigger reveals, Nintendo filled in several more dates for Switch 2 games heading into the end of 2026 and next year.

Nintendo also confirmed Switch 2 versions of 007 First Light, Stellar Blade, It Takes Two and Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy. 

Alongside were smaller announcements including Yo-kai Watch 2: Haunted Domain, Onyx: The Dark Grip, Stage Fright, Eternal Anima, Romancing SaGa 3: Destinies United and Metal Slug Ultimate Collection.

The Duskbloods was one of the more noticeable absences. FromSoftware's Switch 2 exclusive is still due in 2026, making this Direct an obvious place for a release date or another substantial look at the game. Nintendo showed neither.

There was no new 3D Mario either. That absence stands out more after Switch 2 entered its second year without revealing the full successor to Super Mario Odyssey. Nintendo instead used its two new first-party slots on Metroid Ravenous and Kirby and the World Beyond.

We have mixed feelings about this Direct. Yes, we finally got a new 2D Metroid, but a lot of what we hoped to see never appeared. There was no new 3D Mario, no Smash Bros., no Animal Crossing and still no release date for The Duskbloods.

What we did get were a few genuine surprises. Kirby and the World Beyond looks like a much bigger step forward than expected, Monster Hunter Wilds is coming to Switch 2 with cross-play, and Persona 6 is now confirmed for the system.

So even if Nintendo did not tick off most of our wishlist, the Switch 2 calendar looks considerably fuller than it did before the show.