Nintendo has confirmed its first major Direct of 2026 airs tomorrow, June 9 at 7am PT / 10am ET. The presentation is scheduled to run for roughly 50 minutes and will highlight upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch games. Immediately following, Nintendo Treehouse: Live will take over for approximately 95 minutes of extended gameplay from select titles shown in the Direct.
That is a lot of airtime. Here is what could fill it.
Nintendo rarely holds a major Direct without Mario somewhere in it. Switch 2 launched with Mario Kart World, but a traditional Mario platformer has not been confirmed for the system yet. Super Mario Odyssey released alongside the original Switch in 2017, making a flagship 3D Mario for Switch 2 one of the most anticipated unannounced games in Nintendo’s lineup.
Whether it is a sequel to Odyssey or a new concept entirely, tomorrow feels like a realistic moment for Nintendo to show its hand. A 50-minute Direct anchored by a new Mario reveal would make sense.
The Luigi’s Mansion series has been on a consistent cadence: the original in 2001, Dark Moon in 2013, Luigi’s Mansion 3 in 2019. The gap between entries has shortened each time, and Switch 2 is the natural next platform. Next Level Games has had time to develop something new, and Luigi’s Mansion is exactly the kind of evergreen Nintendo franchise that fits a summer Direct reveal ahead of a holiday window.
There is nothing confirmed here, but the pattern is hard to ignore.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom launched in 2023. Nintendo has since released Echoes of Wisdom as a standalone 2D entry, but a new mainline 3D Zelda for Switch 2 remains unannounced. It is probably too early for a full reveal, but a teaser or first look would not be out of the question for a 50-minute show trying to establish Switch 2’s long-term lineup.
Alternatively, a follow-up to Echoes of Wisdom or a new 2D Zelda concept built around Switch 2’s capabilities could appear. Nintendo has shown a renewed interest in the 2D format and there is no reason that stops with one game.
This one is more of a hope than a prediction, but Wario is overdue. WarioWare: Move It! came out in 2023 for the original Switch, but a proper Wario Land entry has not existed since Shake It! on the Wii in 2008. Switch 2 would be a strong platform for either format. Wario Land in particular has a passionate fanbase that has been waiting almost two decades for a new entry, and Nintendo has a habit of reviving dormant series when a new platform needs variety.
A Wario Land reveal would be one of the bigger surprises the Direct could deliver. That alone makes it worth keeping in mind.
Minecraft has been confirmed for Nintendo Switch 2, so an appearance at the Direct is entirely plausible. Nintendo typically uses its major presentations to remind players which big multiplatform games are coming to its hardware, and Minecraft with any Switch 2-specific features would fit that slot cleanly.
Fifty minutes is a lot of ground to cover. Beyond Nintendo’s own lineup, the Direct will likely include third-party games that have already been announced at other events. Microsoft showed several titles at its Xbox showcase yesterday, and PlayStation had its own share of announcements. Some of those games will almost certainly appear here with Switch 2 release dates attached. On the Nintendo side, expect Pokémon DLC updates for titles already on the platform. Mario Kart World is also approaching its one-year anniversary as a Switch 2 launch title, which makes this a natural moment for Nintendo to announce new DLC courses or characters to keep the player base engaged.
The Treehouse session adds another 95 minutes of extended gameplay on top, so whatever Nintendo shows, there will be plenty of time to see it in action. The Direct begins June 9 at 7am PT / 10am ET on Nintendo’s YouTube channel and at nintendo.com.
Anthony Micallef is the creator of Anton Retro, a platform dedicated to retro gaming enthusiasts. With years of experience in Nintendo homebrew and modding, he creates guides to help gamers get the most out of their consoles.
What do you think about this story?
Leave a comment