Nintendo’s next two Direct events are both happening next week
Developing story first seen 3 hours ago
Nintendo has added a second announcement to its previously confirmed Zelda-focused broadcast, revealing that a regular Direct showcase will follow on 9 September, immediately after the Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct on 8 September. The pairing gives Nintendo a chance to mark Zelda's milestone anniversary while also using the following day's show to bolster the Switch 2's line-up with games launching this winter, a move that comes shortly after the console's price was raised by $50 in the US.
The Zelda Direct airs at 10am ET/7am PT on 8 September, running about 30 minutes on Nintendo's YouTube channel or the Nintendo Today app, and is expected to cover the leaked special-edition Zelda Switch 2 console and controller, the Ocarina of Time remake, and next year's live-action Zelda film. The second Direct follows at the same time on 9 September, lasting roughly 45 minutes and continuing into a Nintendo Treehouse gameplay livestream; it will focus on winter Switch 2 releases and may include a preview of new Nintendo Classics titles, though no specific games have been confirmed for either broadcast.
- Nintendo confirms two Directs, 8-9 September, on consecutive days
- First marks Zelda's 40th anniversary; second covers winter Switch 2 games
- No confirmed game line-up yet for either broadcast
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Nintendo has confirmed two Direct presentations, its regular video briefings on games and hardware, will air back to back next week. The first, on 8 September, marks the 40th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda, one of Nintendo's flagship franchises, and is expected to touch on a special-edition Switch 2 console, a remake of the classic game Ocarina of Time, and an upcoming live-action Zelda film. The second, on 9 September, is a more general showcase of games coming to the Switch 2 console this winter.
The Switch 2 is Nintendo's current games console, successor to the Switch, and these presentations are part of the company's regular effort to promote upcoming titles and keep the console's line-up looking strong. That matters here because the Switch 2 recently had its US price raised by $50, so a stronger run of announced games can help reassure buyers that the console remains worth the higher cost.
Both events will be streamed free online, and neither Direct's full line-up has been confirmed in advance, so viewers are relying on official previews and prior leaks for what to expect.
Full account
Nintendo has confirmed that two Direct broadcasts will air on consecutive days next week, giving fans an unusually dense run of news on the Switch 2 line-up. The first, a Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct, is scheduled for 8 September at 10am ET (7am PT) and will run for roughly half an hour. It will be followed the very next day, 9 September, by a standard Nintendo Direct at the same time slot, expected to last around 45 minutes. Both broadcasts are set to stream via Nintendo's official YouTube channel and its Nintendo Today app.
The anniversary edition is billed as a celebration of Zelda's four-decade history, though most commentators expect the bulk of the runtime to be devoted to the remake of Ocarina of Time, which Nintendo confirmed back in June. Leaked imagery said to show a special anniversary-themed Switch 2 console and controller has also been circulating ahead of the broadcast, fuelling speculation about a hardware bundle. A brief look at the upcoming live-action Zelda film, expected in cinemas next year, is also widely anticipated, though there is no confirmation of a new mainline game being unveiled.
The following day's general Direct is expected to concentrate on Switch 2 (and Switch) titles due for release this winter, with a two-hour Nintendo Treehouse gameplay stream to follow shortly afterwards. Likely candidates for coverage include a final trailer for Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave ahead of its 17 September launch, fresh footage of the Switch 2-exclusive Nintendo Switch Sports Resort before its October release, and possible updates on The Duskbloods, alongside third-party holiday titles such as Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World and Final Fantasy Resonance. Nintendo Directs of this kind have previously included previews of additions to the Nintendo Classics library, though nothing has been confirmed on that front this time. Given that the Ocarina of Time remake is widely tipped as Nintendo's marquee holiday release, some observers expect a concrete release date to emerge from one of the two broadcasts, potentially timed to land before the Black Friday shopping period.
Coverage of the announcement varies in tone and focus. One outlet frames the two Directs largely as a straightforward scheduling story, noting the recent leaked anniversary hardware images and pointedly asking whether upcoming titles can justify the console's recent $50 price increase. Another take is more overtly opinionated, arguing that Switch 2 has quietly built a strong 2026 software line-up—citing releases such as Splatoon Raiders, Pokémon Pokopia and Star Fox alongside a growing roster of multiplatform ports—and offering speculative release-date guesses for Ocarina of Time (proposing late October or early-to-mid November) that go beyond what Nintendo has confirmed. A third account strikes a more cautious note, stressing the limits of what is likely to be shown: it plays down the chances of major news on mainline Mario, Animal Crossing, Super Smash Bros. or Pikmin, and is alone in specifying that the post-Direct Treehouse stream begins at 10:45am ET and runs for two hours. Beyond these differences in emphasis, all three agree on the core facts—two back-to-back Directs, one Zelda-themed and one general, arriving on 8 and 9 September.
Where outlets differ
One report leads with the leaked anniversary hardware images and links the story to the Switch 2's recent price rise, while the others do not dwell on pricing.
A second report is the most speculative, offering specific guesses (late October/early November) for an Ocarina of Time remake release date and framing the story around a broader, opinionated case for Switch 2's software strength versus Sony and Microsoft.
A third report is more skeptical about what will be shown, explicitly downplaying chances of mainline Mario, Animal Crossing, Smash Bros. or Pikmin news, and is the only one to give a precise start time (10:45am ET) and duration (two hours) for the Treehouse livestream.
Only the first report mentions that these Directs sometimes preview additions to the Nintendo Classics library, noting none has been confirmed this time.
More coverage
- Destructoid — Nintendo Direct doubleheader next week could solidify Switch 2 as the top console this generation
- Engadget — Nintendo just announced two Direct livestream events for next week