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Nintendo Is Quietly Putting Together a Killer 2027
Nintendo's September Direct focused mainly on third-party ports for Switch 2, but it also confirmed several first-party titles set for 2027, giving a clearer picture of what could be a strong year for the console. Among the newly revealed games are Metroid Ravenous and Kirby and the World Beyond, joining previously announced titles Xenoblade Genesis and the mainline Pokémon entry Pokémon Winds and Waves, together forming a substantial line-up for Switch 2 owners.
Metroid Ravenous, a 2D follow-up to the well-received Metroid Dread from developer MercurySteam, launches on 28 January, followed by Kirby and the World Beyond, a sequel to 2022's Kirby and the Forgotten Land, in spring. Xenoblade Genesis from MonolithSoft is due sometime in 2027 without a firm date, while Pokémon Winds and Waves is expected to be the year's biggest release, marking Game Freak's first mainline Pokémon games built for Switch 2 after a run of technically troubled launches. Notably absent from the roster so far are major franchises such as Mario, Super Smash Bros. and Animal Crossing, though Nintendo may be relying on its broader stable of series to carry the console through the year.
In short
- Nintendo's Direct revealed a strong 2027 Switch 2 line-up
- New games: Metroid Ravenous, Kirby and the World Beyond
- Also coming: Xenoblade Genesis, Pokémon Winds and Waves
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The announced line-up gives Switch 2 owners several prominent releases across distinct genres, including new entries in Metroid, Kirby, Xenoblade and Pokémon. If these games arrive as scheduled and meet expectations, their spread across the year could sustain interest in the console without relying on a single franchise.
The case against
The line-up is still an early and incomplete forecast: Xenoblade has no firm date, and the report offers no evidence yet about the games’ quality or commercial appeal. With major draws such as Mario, Smash Bros. and Animal Crossing absent so far, it is reasonable to question whether these releases will make 2027 a reliably strong year for the console.
Explained simply
Nintendo makes video game consoles and develops games through its own studios and partner developers. Its Switch 2 is the successor to the original Switch, and its games include both long-running series such as Metroid, Kirby and Pokémon and role-playing games such as Xenoblade.
The reported 2027 releases span several different kinds of games: Metroid is an action-adventure series, Kirby stars a round, pink hero, and Pokémon centres on collecting and battling creatures. Xenoblade is a separate role-playing series made by Nintendo’s Monolith Soft studio; Game Freak develops the main Pokémon games, while other studios work on some Nintendo releases.
A strong run of games can help attract players to a console and give existing owners more reasons to use it. Nintendo has many established series, but the games named so far do not include some of its most prominent franchises, including Mario and Animal Crossing.