It wouldn’t be Summer Game Fest and the ghost of E3 season without a big Nintendo Direct. Previously teased for June, it now looks like the big Switch showcase could happen as early as next week thanks to a suspicious early announcement from Among Us maker Innersloth.
Back in May, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa announced that the company would be holding a June Direct as it does every year to showcase games coming to Switch in the second half of 2024. He stressed that while Nintendo will begin sharing details on the console’s successor in the next nine months, nothing about a rumored Switch 2 would be revealed during the upcoming livestream.
It now seems like the Nintendo Direct is probably targeting a June 18 stream. That’s according to a YouTube video for an upcoming update to multiplayer murder sim Among Us that was seemingly accidentally uploaded and published ahead of schedule before being taken down again. Copies of the video, which debuts new roles for the the popular pandemic-era party game, are still available and the contents were reported on by GoNintendo.
While it’s always possible that the video is for a standalone announcement, Innersloth has previously revealed updates in Nintendo Directs, and the words “available now” make it sound like a shadow-drop that would go live when the showcase airs. While companies’ plans can always change, the fact that we’re still waiting on the Direct and the month is almost over makes June 18, or later that same week, feel like the closest thing to a sure bet.
Nintendo’s 2024 schedule for the Switch is wide open following the launch of Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD on June 27. With the console likely to be sunset beginning next year, this will (hopefully) be the last victory lap for it before the Switch 2 is revealed after reported delays. We still haven’t gotten an update on Metroid Prime 4, announced at the beginning of the Switch’s life cycle, and with Microsoft going more multiplatform, Square Enix looking to port its past exclusives, and Sony bringing Lego Horizon Adventure to the handheld hybrid, there’s plenty of stuff that could get announced.
Maybe we’ll even get a new Pokémon game this fall. While Pokémon Legends: Z-A has already been announced for 2025, it would be great to get a rumored remake of Pokémon Black and White in the meantime. Who knows, maybe we’ll even get an expansion for Super Mario Bros. Wonder. I’ve already collected ever Wonder seed in the game and am desperate for more levels.