What to Expect From Nintendo Switch 2 in 2026

2025 was a major year for the Nintendo Switch 2, marked by its official release and several new games. Although some fans hoped for more exclusive titles, games like Donkey Kong Bananza, Mario Kart World, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, and upgraded versions of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom demonstrated the console’s enhanced capabilities and hinted at even more impressive games to come.

As a Nintendo fan, I’m already getting excited about 2026 and the Switch 2! It sounds like a ton of games are coming that will really show off what the new hardware can do. Right now, there aren’t a huge number of games announced that will only be on the Switch 2, but the promise of playing games the original Switch just couldn’t handle is amazing. Honestly, 2026 might be the year the Switch 2 finally feels worth the investment, and I can’t wait!

Every Switch 2 Game Confirmed for 2026

The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon – January 15, 2026
MIO: Memories in Orbit – January 20, 2026
Dynasty Warriors: Origins – January 22, 2026
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade – January 22, 2026
Dispatch – January 29, 2026
Kyouran Makaism – January 29, 2026
Starsand Island – February 1, 2026
Dragon Quest 7: Reimagined – February 3, 2026
ChromaGun 2: Dye Hard – February 12, 2026
Mario Tennis Fever – February 12, 2026
Yakuza Kiwami 3 and Dark Ties – February 12, 2026
Reanimal – February 13, 2026
Gear Club Unlimited 3 – February 19, 2026
Resident Evil Requiem – February 27, 2026
Resident Evil Village Gold Edition – February 27, 2026
Resident Evil 7 biohazard Gold Edition – February 27, 2026
Pokemon Pokopia – March 5, 2026
Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly REMAKE – March 12, 2026
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection – March 13, 2026
007 First Light – March 27, 2026
Opus: Prism Peak – March 2026
Pragmata – April 24, 2026
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream – Spring 2026
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book – Spring 2026
Wandering Sword – May 28, 2026
Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter – Fall 2026
The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales – 2026
Content Warning – 2026
Danganronpa 2×2 – 2026
The Duskbloods – 2026
Elden Ring Tarnished Edition – 2026
Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition – 2026
Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave – 2026
Hela – 2026
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle – 2026
Lego Batman: The Legacy of the Dark Knight – 2026
Orbitals – 2026
Out of Words – 2026
Pokemon Champions – 2026
Professor Layton and the New World of Steam – 2026
Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions – 2026
Witchbrook – 2026

2026 looks like a fantastic year for the Nintendo Switch 2, with a strong lineup of games. While not many are exclusive to the console, the confirmed titles suggest the new hardware is a significant upgrade. Several games in the 2026 lineup, like Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade, Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition, Pragmata, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and Resident Evil Requiem, likely wouldn’t have been possible on the original Switch due to its hardware limitations, especially with today’s demanding game engines and graphics. These titles would have either required major cutbacks or simply couldn’t have been released on the older console.

While many of the Switch 2’s 2026 games don’t have confirmed release dates, the ones that do suggest a strong start for the console. With major titles like Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade (January 22), Mario Tennis Fever (February 12), Resident Evil Requiem (February 27), Pokemon Pokopia (March 5), and 007 First Light (March 27) launching in the first quarter, the Switch 2 appears poised to be a serious contender from the beginning. Even without considering bigger games planned for later in the year, these initial releases suggest the Switch 2 will be more competitive than the original ever was.

Switch 2 Exclusives to Watch for in 2026

The Duskbloods
Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave
Pokemon Pokopia
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book

Several games will be exclusive to the Nintendo Switch 2 and are expected in 2026. Pokemon Pokopia is already confirmed to launch on March 5, 2026, and other titles like The Duskbloods, Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave, and Yoshi and the Mysterious Book are planned for release sometime in 2026.

Pokemon Pokopia is a new game coming only to the Switch 2. It’s similar to Animal Crossing, where you play as a Ditto that transforms into a human and builds a perfect home for Pokemon. The game is set in a broken-down world with a blocky style, and you’ll spend your time crafting, building houses, making friends with Pokemon, learning their attacks, and creating a lively town. In contrast, FromSoftware’s The Duskbloods is a very different experience. It’s a challenging action RPG in the style of the Souls games, offering the kind of deep gameplay fans expect from the creators of Elden Ring. Like Elden Ring Nightreign, The Duskbloods is a multiplayer game with both player-versus-player and player-versus-environment modes. You’ll choose from a dozen different characters, called Bloodsworn, who are vampire-like and each have their own unique weapons and abilities.

Two more Nintendo Switch 2 games scheduled for 2026 are Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave and Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, though their exact release dates haven’t been announced yet. Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave is the newest installment in the long-running Fire Emblem series—the eighteenth main game, in fact. The game’s story centers around the Heroic Games, a tournament similar to gladiatorial combat, organized by an enigmatic character called the Divine Sovereign. Participants compete for fame, acknowledgment, or to achieve a personal goal.

Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is a brand new platforming adventure for the Nintendo Switch 2, coming in Spring 2026. Players will control Yoshi as he teams up with a talking book named Mr. E and enters a world inside its pages. This world is like a living encyclopedia, filled with strange creatures. Yoshi can use these creatures’ unique abilities to solve puzzles and navigate levels in a classic 2D platformer style.

Switch Games Confirmed to Receive Switch 2 Upgrades in 2026

Animal Crossing: New Horizons Nintendo Switch 2 Edition – January 15, 2026
The Rumble Fish 2 Nintendo Switch 2 Edition – January 22, 2026
Core Keeper – January 28, 2026
Card-en-Ciel Nintendo Switch 2 Edition – January 29, 2026
Human Fall Flat – Spring 2026
Super Mario Bros. Wonder Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park – Spring 2026
Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP – Early 2026
Lorelei and the Laser Eyes – Early 2026
Sayonara Wild Hearts – Early 2026

Many Nintendo Switch games are already planned to be enhanced for the Switch 2 in 2026, and some will see improvements beyond just faster speeds. Titles like Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, and Human Fall Flat are getting updates because they’re expected to benefit the most from the Switch 2’s more powerful technology. Other games, including Core Keeper, Card-en-Ciel, Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP, and Sayonara Wild Hearts, are also being optimized for the new system, and Nintendo is likely to announce even more compatible games in the future.

What Might Still Be on the Horizon for the Switch 2 in 2026

Next Mainline Zelda Reveal

The recent updates to Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom for the Switch 2 are good for now, but fans are eager for a completely new Zelda adventure. Although Echoes of Wisdom, released in September 2024, is a full Zelda title, it wasn’t made by Nintendo themselves. This suggests Nintendo is likely already working on a true sequel to Tears of the Kingdom, and we might get a first look at it as early as 2026.

Nintendo announced Tears of the Kingdom with a short teaser four years before it came out. They did the same with Breath of the Wild, so it’s likely we’ll see news about the next major Zelda game well in advance of its release. Given the six-year gap between Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom (which launched in 2023), 2026 would be a good time for an announcement, even if the next game isn’t due until 2029. However, the next Zelda game might actually come out sooner, perhaps in 2027 or 2028.

Mario Kart World DLC or Expansion

Okay, so Nintendo hasn’t officially said anything about DLC for Mario Kart World in 2026, but I’m pretty sure they’re not going to just leave it alone, especially with the Switch 2 coming out. If we look back at Mario Kart 8, they added tons of extra tracks and characters after it launched, so it would make total sense for them to do the same with Mario Kart World – more racers, cool skins, maybe even whole new tracks! Though, it’s possible they see Mario Kart World as a finished product and don’t have big plans for DLC, but I’m not counting on it.

More Switch Games Possibly Receiving Switch 2 Upgrades

Cult of the Lamb
Hyrule Warriors
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition

Looking ahead to 2026, we anticipate even more Nintendo Switch games will be enhanced for the Switch 2, beyond what’s already been announced. Many Switch games would benefit from improvements, and as more players switch to the new console, developers will be more motivated to revisit popular titles or those held back by technical limitations. These upgrades could include better performance, higher resolution, or new features. For example, Hyrule Warriors and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity could really shine with improvements, especially now that Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment demonstrates the Switch 2’s capabilities with this gameplay style. Fire Emblem: Three Houses is also a strong contender for an upgrade, and could even serve as a temporary version until Fortune’s Weave is released.

Looking ahead to 2026, the Nintendo Switch 2 seems poised to truly shine. We can expect games that are beyond the capabilities of the original Switch, and even older favorites will likely be revitalized with improved graphics and performance. With a strong lineup of new releases, exclusive titles, and potentially some exciting surprises, 2026 could be the year the Switch 2 proves its value.

2025-12-30 13:07