Nintendo Switch 2 launch lineup: Every game we predict will be available at launch

The big Nintendo Switch 2 Direct presentation is almost upon us. Let's make some predictions.

On Wednesday morning at 9 a.m. ET, Nintendo is going to blow the doors off the Switch 2, most likely telling us how much it will cost and when it will come out. That stuff is cool and good to know, but what about the games? At this point, Nintendo has only sort of confirmed one Switch 2 game that we're pretty sure will be part of the console's launch lineup. Everything beyond that is pure guesswork.

But that's not going to stop me. Here are my rough predictions for what might be available when the Switch 2 launches later this year.

Nintendo Switch 2 launch lineup predictions

To be clear, we have almost nothing to go off of besides a few seconds of footage in the console's January reveal video and various online rumors. But who cares? Let's do this.

Mario Kart 9

When Nintendo first unveiled the Switch 2 via a short teaser video in January, it felt the need to include a few seconds of footage of exactly one new video game running on the console: a new Mario Kart. This will be, numerically speaking, the ninth one, but it's very possible Nintendo calls it something other than Mario Kart 9.

And that's pretty much all we have on that. The footage shown in that video confirms that races will expand from 12 contestants to at least 24, and the one track shown looked a lot larger than they usually are in these games. Eagle-eyed viewers also noticed that Donkey Kong has a new character design, the karts themselves appear to have new fuel tanks on them, and there's a mysterious orange glowing item pickup that you can barely see in one of the shots. Is Nintendo adding a boost meter to this game? Maybe!

As for when this game will available, I would bet actual American dollars that it's a launch game.

A new 3D Super Mario adventure

That, unfortunately, is the last rock solid, almost-100-percent-certain prediction I can make about the Switch 2's launch lineup. However, I can make educated guesses from here on out.

It's been nearly eight years since the last mainline 3D Super Mario adventure, which was Odyssey in the first year of the Switch's existence. Odyssey is an incredible game, but eight years is a long time to wait for a new, proper Mario game. Based solely on the fact that it's been a lifetime (by gaming standards) since the last one, and the fact that Nintendo needs to convince people to buy the Switch 2, it would make a ton of sense for a new adventure starring the iconic Italian plumber to grace the Switch 2 early in its lifespan.

Whether it's a proper launch title or something that comes out before the end of 2025, I would bet on seeing this game on store shelves sooner rather than later.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond

This one might be wish-casting rather than sober analysis on my part, but whatever. I want Metroid Prime 4 to be a Switch 2 launch title.

Until about five days ago, I would've bet on this happening. Strangely, though, Nintendo plopped a Metroid Prime 4 trailer into the middle of a Switch 1-focused Direct last week, notably failing to give it a specific release date other than "2025." I'm prone to overthinking these sorts of things, and that tells me Prime 4 could genuinely just be a Switch 1 game. However, Nintendo can be surprising, so maybe it gets another trailer during the Switch 2 Direct, with a real release date that happens to coincide with the console's launch. This would give the Switch 2 a more "hardcore" title to complement Mario Kart right out of the gate, especially if the aforementioned 3D Mario game is not ready yet.

At least one big third-party game

The most open-ended prediction on this list is that Nintendo will, at the very least, show off one or two flashy third-party releases during the Direct, just to show off what the Switch 2 can do on a technical level. We even have some news reporting to guide us in the direction of what those might be, too!

For starters, leaks from prominent leaker NatetheHate indicate that Metal Gear Delta: Snake Eater and Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth are coming to Switch 2. Delta has an announced release date in late August, so it might not be available right away, depending on when the Switch 2 launches. As for Remake and Rebirth, these would be pretty big gets for Nintendo, as neither of those games are even available on Xbox right now.

The same leak also indicated Ubisoft might bring one or two recent Assassin's Creed games to the console, namely either Mirage, Shadows, or possibly both. If that's the case, I wouldn't be shocked to see either of those as a launch title. Ubisoft traditionally supports Nintendo consoles early and often, and those could be nice technical showpieces to demonstrate the console's horsepower.

I don't have any insider information related to this, so it's just a guess on my part, but I have this weird gut feeling that Elden Ring could make an appearance, too. That would certainly get people talking.

Possibly a Zelda remaster

It's way too early for a new The Legend of Zelda game, given that we got both Echoes of Wisdom and Tears of the Kingdom in the last two years. I wouldn't count on seeing that at all during the Switch 2 Direct.

However...news reports from a couple of years ago suggested Nintendo first started demonstrating the Switch 2 to corporate partners behind closed doors with a souped up version of Breath of the Wild, the most notable Switch 1 launch title. Nintendo loves selling people games multiple times, so don't be shocked if there's at least a remaster of Breath of the Wild (and maybe even Tears of the Kingdom, too) early in the Switch 2's lifespan.

Other dark horse candidates

Now, back to the "Alex is completely guessing" part of the presentation. There are a couple major Nintendo franchises that saw great success on Switch 1, and could use a new entry early in the Switch 2's life. That doesn't necessarily mean they'll be on store shelves right away, but I wouldn't be surprised if they showed up within a year of launch.

Namely, it's been five years since Animal Crossing: New Horizons saved all of us from pandemic-fueled despair. Those are shockingly complex games for how simplistic they seem on the surface, so a new entry may not be ready for launch, but I wouldn't be totally shocked to at least see an announcement related to Animal Crossing in the Nintendo Direct on Wednesday.

The other big Nintendo franchise I have on my mind here is Fire Emblem. The turn-based-tactics/dating sim franchise reached incredible heights with 2019's Three Houses, and while Engage only came out a couple of years ago, it was so uninspiring and dull that I'm choosing to just kinda ignore it. Whether the next Fire Emblem is a new game or a remake of one of the older Japan-only titles, I expect it to be on Switch 2, and it could theoretically be shown on Wednesday.

There's every possibility that my predictions here are totally and utterly wrong, in which case you're free to pelt me with tomatoes. But all of them at least feel reasonably realistic to me.