A Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase set for July 31st, with spotlight on third-party Switch 2 games
After never-ending rumors, Nintendo has finally confirmed a broadcast for July 31st. Despite anticipated news about Metroid Prime 4: Beyond or Kirby Air Riders, the show will focus on third-party Switch 2 games. The Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase stream will start at 9:00 AM EST/6:00 AM PST, and last approximately 25 minutes.
On the June 5th Switch 2 release date, the console launched with a relatively diverse lineup of non-Nintendo developed titles. Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition led the way, but Mario Kart World and upgraded Zelda games dominated sales. Since then, gamers haven't seen a great number of third-party projects confirmed for the handheld. A report from NateTheHate2 indicated that publishers, like Capcom and Ubisoft, had been waiting for a Nintendo event.
Another factor in the lack of third-party support may be Nintendo delaying dev kit shipments. At the 2025 Game Developers Conference in March, John Linneman of Digital Foundry revealed that many companies still lacked the critical tools. Without dev kits, game-makers can't create new Switch 2 games or optimize ports for the handheld. If the situation has changed, the Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase could unleash a deluge of backlogged titles.
Meanwhile, other fans are wondering when they will hear more news about Nintendo's own Switch 2 games. Initially announced in 2017, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond has been the subject of regular rumors. Following a change in developers, slow progress was made until Nintendo announced a 2025 release date. A recent report hinted that development was still not complete, raising the possibility of a release date delay.
The lack of first-party coverage at the July 31st Nintendo Direct won't alleviate fears of Metroid Prime supporters. Still, the company could host another event before the summer ends, or a presentation specific to the game. The same applies to Kirby Air Riders, with Masahiro Sakurai's followers left without a more exact release window.
