It’s a new year, so it naturally feels like a good moment to look ahead at what’s coming to both the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 over the next 12 months.
Below you’ll find a big list of upcoming releases that either caught my eye, or are games that I feel are worth knowing about. Plenty of good stuff here for your 2026 wishlist. Let’s get to it!
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Table of contents
- Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade
- Dispatch
- Mouse: P.I. For Hire
- Mario Tennis Fever
- 007 First Light
- Mina the Hollower
- Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream
- Witchbrook
- Pokémon Pokopia
- Pokémon Champions
- Orbitals
- Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined
- Demon Tides
- Tanuki: Pon’s Summer
- Rhythm Heaven Groove
- Mio: Memories in Orbit
- Professor Layton and the New World of Steam
- Resident Evil Requiem
- Pragmata
- Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave
- Reanimal
- The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales
- Yoshi and the Mysterious Book
- Scott Pilgrim EX
- The Duskbloods
- Splatoon Raiders
26 for 2026
1) Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade
Release: January 22
This is a huge, ambitious port from Square Enix — bringing the gorgeous remake of an all-time classic RPG to Nintendo’s handheld. It’s a statement release in a way, considering this was positioned as a showcase of the capabilities of the PS5… and now it’s here running on a portable.
2) Dispatch
Release: January 28
Dispatch caught the attention of many for being a genuinely amusing adventure game. It’s a workplace comedy, delivered episodically, except you and your colleagues are all superheroes.
3) Mouse: P.I. For Hire
Release: March 19
When I first saw this it felt like the first real “Steamboat Willie public domain” moment. It’s basically Mickey Mouse meets Cuphead… but as an FPS. The style is the immediate hook, but there’s also what looks to be a solid noir shooter here too.
4) Mario Tennis Fever
Release: February 12
Camelot’s sports games can be hit and miss — Tennis on the Switch worked for me last time, but the Golf game less so. This one has a chaotic new FEVER mechanic though that sounds like it could add some real spice to online play.
5) 007 First Light
Release: May 27
As a Bond fan, I’m super ready for a solid-looking slice of 007 action — especially as Amazon can’t seem to make their minds up on how to handle the movie franchise. The dev team here is the same crew behind Hitman, so we all know that the stealth action being delivered is from a safe pair of hands. The Bond vibes look spot on, and it’s exciting to see this landing day and date alongside other platforms.
6) Mina the Hollower
Release: TBA (delayed from October 2025)
Mina was meant to be with us last year, but got a last-minute push for extra polish. No specific date yet, but it looks really ambitious: a massive top-down adventure, A Link to the Past-style, with strong gothic Game Boy vibes. It’s from Yacht Club Games (Shovel Knight), so expectations are high.
7) Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream
Release: 2026
This is just Nintendo at their weirdest best. A social sim that practically guarantees offbeat, bizarre meme moments. It’s been well over a decade since the last entry, so the hype here is understandable.
8) Witchbrook
Release: 2026
The Switch already has a lot of life sims, but Witchbrook still stands out: it’s a cozy life-sim meets social RPG, but set in a magical college. If you fancy some Harry Potter magic school vibes without the terf drama, this more than fits the bill I reckon. It was previously slated for an earlier release, but now sits in a broader 2026 window. Developer Chucklefish has a no-crunch stance so hats off to them I say.
9) Pokemon Pokopia
Release: March 5
2026 is Pokemon’s 30th anniversary, so it’s going to be a big year for the franchise. Pokopia looks like a curious blending of Animal Crossing and Minecraft, resulting in a sandboxy, creative Pokemon experience. It’s a Game Key Card release sadly though.
10) Pokemon Champions
Release: 2026
This looks like a modern take on Pokemon Stadium-style battling. It’s launching across Switch and both iOS and Android, suggesting the goal is maximum reach for folks jumping in for strategic, turn-based battling. No date yet.
11) Orbitals
Release: 2026
Announced recently, and honestly it’s one of my most anticipated purely on visuals. It’s a Switch 2 exclusive co-op sci-fi adventure that’s dripping with awesome retro-anime style.
12) Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined
Release: February 5
A much-loved Dragon Quest entry gets a serious glow-up, plus it trims some of the fat of this ambitious entry, and adds in some welcome quality-of-life improvements. The pitch is a more modern, accessible version of a huge RPG.
13) Demon Tides
Release: 2026
If you’re into 3D platformers, you might know Demon Turf. Well, Demon Tides is the follow-up, and it looks to have a ton of neat ways to move, traverse and explore. Feels like it’ll find a dedicated audience based on how well it feels to move throughout the open world. PC first, Switch version later.
14) Tanuki: Pon’s Summer
Release: 2026
A mail-delivery adventure where you play as a cute, rotund tanuki cycling around a village. Cozy vibes, exploring, and a game that looks easy to get lost in. Nice.
15) Rhythm Heaven Groove
Release: 2026
Or Rhythm Paradise Groove in Europe. Like Tomodachi Life, it’s the first new entry in over a decade. Expect rhythm action that’s easy to pick up, hard to master, and packed with silly hooks.
16) Mio: Memories in Orbit
Release: January 20
A lush-looking Metroidvania platformer, and one that’ll likely appeal to anyone who digs the Hollow Knights of the world.
17) Professor Layton and the New World of Steam
Release: 2026
It feels like an age since this was first announced — but yep, Layton is back. Hopefully Level-5 delivers another great slice of puzzle-box adventuring. Notably, the Switch 2 version supports mouse mode.
18) Resident Evil Requiem
Release: February 27
Capcom seems all-in on Switch 2 support, which is great to see. Requiem arriving alongside other consoles is a big moment for Nintendo platforms, and another example of Switch 2 handling major modern releases.
19) Pragmata
Release: April 24
Another from Capcom. We still don’t know a ton about Pragmata, despite it being announced years ago. But this sci-fi hacking adventure looks to have enough intrigue in its neat combat, style, and overall tone.
20) Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave
Release: 2026
This is the 18th mainline entry in the long-running tactics RPG series. Details are still light beyond the initial reveal trailer (and some possible Three Houses connections) — but it’s hard to imagine this being anything other than a big, satisfying time sink.
21) Reanimal
Release: February 13
From the same team behind Little Nightmares. This is a co-op horror adventure in which two siblings have to work together to survive, solve puzzles, all with a neat cinematic style.
22) The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales
Release: 2026
An action RPG spanning millennia, with that now classic HD-2D look. This one has a more action-driven combat focus. There’s a substantial (90 minute!) demo available on the eShop if you want a feel for it.
23) Yoshi and the Mysterious Book
Release: 2026
A new Yoshi side-scrolling adventure set inside the pages of an encyclopedia. The big question is how well the “book gimmick” translates into fresh level ideas, but it looks like a strong family-friendly platformer.
24) Scott Pilgrim EX
Release: 2026
After the return of the original brawler, Scott Pilgrim EX brings a new four-player Toronto adventure with stylish presentation and satisfying beat-’em-up energy.
25) The Duskbloods
Release: 2026
A huge get for Switch 2, a FromSoftware exclusive bringing dark fantasy action plus PvP and PvE multiplayer elements —all with strong gothic/victorian vibes.
26) Splatoon Raiders
Release: 2026
A Splatoon spin-off that looks like it’s pushing beyond the core multiplayer formula. Details are light, but the setup sees you playing as a mechanic exploring a mysterious island chain with the Deep Cut crew along for the ride. Sounds like a fun change of pace.
Alright, that’s a wrap on my picks for the year ahead. There are still plenty of unknowns, too, so with Nintendo Direct’s and a bunch of gaming anniversaries taking place this year, 2026 is shaping up to be a really interesting one.
If you’ve got any neat recommendations why not share them with me over on Bluesky?
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