Indie game studio says Switch 2 dev kits are more accessible, but Nintendo fears shovelware slop

Before the handheld launched in June 2025, rumors emerged about elusive Switch 2 dev kits. In a recent interview, New Blood Interactive CEO Dave Oshry confirms that the tools are now more attainable. However, increasingly weary of eShop shovelware, Nintendo could still reject games in development.

How easy are Switch 2 dev kits to obtain?

Nintendo Everything noticed some overlooked comments when Oshry sat down with RPG Site. The indie studio responsible for Dusk and Blood West is preparing to release its multi-platform dungeon crawler. While the company plans to ship Dungeons of Dusk on the Switch 2, the port is not yet a guarantee.

The CEO denied that obtaining dev kits from the gaming giant is problematic, saying the process is “not much different than the Switch 1.” Providing an update in late 2025, reliable leaker NateTheHate would agree with that claim. Still, not all studios may be as fortunate as New Blood. According to a recent report from Arkaden, Nintendo hasn’t given the green light to some applicants.

With the help of the Switch 2 dev kit, Dungeons of Dusk builds show promising performance and even support mouse control. Yet, the submission process for the indie game remains ongoing:

We’re just waiting for Nintendo to give us approval to actually launch it because they’re still pretty cagey about letting games launch on Switch 2.

The New Blood dev then provides some rare insight into how the company combats shovelware:

They don’t want it to just become a giant slop fest like the Switch 1 eShop became after a few years with just tons of shovelware on there.” 

Despite more third-party Switch 2 games surfacing, Nintendo is selective about who publishes titles on the handheld. The company has taken other steps to reduce eShop bloat. In June 2025, IGN reported on changes to the store in some regions. 

Pages now rank games by revenue over the past three days rather than by quantity sold. The move aims to minimize the visibility of cheap AI-generated knockoffs. Buyers may also find fewer bundles involving the same titles and more accurate descriptions.

With a playable Dungeons of Dusk Steam demo out, most gamers wouldn’t characterize it as slop. Even so, it’s unclear if Switch 2 owners will gain access to the turn-based RPG.