2025 was certainly a big year for the Nintendo Switch 2, with its official launch finally taking place and several exclusive releases following it. While its small exclusive lineup has left some fans wanting, games like Donkey Kong Bananza, Mario Kart World, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and the Switch 2 upgrades for Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom have nonetheless been great platforms for the console to showcase its improved hardware and tease what it will be capable of producing in the months and years to come.
Looking ahead into 2026, the Nintendo Switch 2 has a massive wave of games incoming that look to take full advantage of its hardware. The list of Switch 2 exclusives remains short for the time being, but games that the original Switch would not have been able to handle will eventually be made available on its successor, further establishing it as the handheld console of choice. For some players, 2026 may very well be the year the Switch 2 earns its price tag.
Every Switch 2 Game Confirmed for 2026
- The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon – January 15, 2026
- MIO: Memories in Orbit – January 20, 2026
- Dynasty Warriors: Origins – January 22, 2026
- Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade – January 22, 2026
- Dispatch – January 29, 2026
- Kyouran Makaism – January 29, 2026
- Starsand Island – February 1, 2026
- Dragon Quest 7: Reimagined – February 3, 2026
- ChromaGun 2: Dye Hard – February 12, 2026
- Mario Tennis Fever – February 12, 2026
- Yakuza Kiwami 3 and Dark Ties – February 12, 2026
- Reanimal – February 13, 2026
- Gear Club Unlimited 3 – February 19, 2026
- Resident Evil Requiem – February 27, 2026
- Resident Evil Village Gold Edition – February 27, 2026
- Resident Evil 7 biohazard Gold Edition – February 27, 2026
- Pokemon Pokopia – March 5, 2026
- Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly REMAKE – March 12, 2026
- Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection – March 13, 2026
- 007 First Light – March 27, 2026
- Opus: Prism Peak – March 2026
- Pragmata – April 24, 2026
- Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream – Spring 2026
- Yoshi and the Mysterious Book – Spring 2026
- Wandering Sword – May 28, 2026
- Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter – Fall 2026
- The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales – 2026
- Content Warning – 2026
- Danganronpa 2×2 – 2026
- The Duskbloods – 2026
- Elden Ring Tarnished Edition – 2026
- Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition – 2026
- Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave – 2026
- Hela – 2026
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle – 2026
- Lego Batman: The Legacy of the Dark Knight – 2026
- Orbitals – 2026
- Out of Words – 2026
- Pokemon Champions – 2026
- Professor Layton and the New World of Steam – 2026
- Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions – 2026
- Witchbrook – 2026
Clearly, 2026 is stacked with Nintendo Switch 2 releases, and though only a handful of them are exclusive to the console, many of the confirmed games point to something more noteworthy than exclusivity. Specifically, a large portion of the Switch 2’s 2026 lineup consists of titles that likely would have struggled on the original Switch due to hardware limitations, especially when it comes to modern engines and heavier technical demands. Games like Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade, Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition, Pragmata, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and Resident Evil Requiem are the kinds of releases that would have required significant compromises, or simply never would have happened, on the original Switch.
Furthermore, many of the Switch 2’s 2026 game launches don’t have firm release dates yet, but those that do make the first few months of the year seem like the console will be starting off strong. With Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade launching on January 22, Mario Tennis Fever on February 12, Resident Evil Requiem on February 27, Pokemon Pokopia on March 5, and 007 First Light on March 27, the Switch 2 is primed and ready to be a major player right out of the gate in 2026. Even without accounting for the heavier hitters still slated for later in the year, the first quarter alone makes the Switch 2 look more like a platform that can keep up in the console race more than its predecessor ever could have.
Switch 2 Exclusives to Watch for in 2026
- The Duskbloods
- Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave
- Pokemon Pokopia
- Yoshi and the Mysterious Book
There are, however, several Nintendo Switch 2 exclusives fans should be watching for in 2026, one of which already has a release date. Pokemon Pokopia launches on March 5, 2026, while The Duskbloods, Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave, and Yoshi and the Mysterious Book all have a broad 2026 release window.
Pokemon Pokopia is a Switch 2 exclusive Animal Crossing-like game, where players control a Ditto transforming into a human to build a paradise for Pokemon in a blocky, post-apocalyptic world, with a focus on crafting, building homes, befriending Pokemon, learning their moves, and creating a thriving community. FromSoftware’s The Duskbloods, on the other hand, is quite the opposite of the cozy Pokemon game, giving players an action RPG soulslike that is much darker, more demanding, and with the kind of depth expected from the Elden Ring developer. Similar to Elden Ring Nightreign, The Duskbloods is a multiplayer game that features both PvP and PvE gameplay, where players control one of a dozen unique Bloodsworn, vampire-like characters each with unique weapons and abilities.
Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave and Yoshi and the Mysterious Book are two other Nintendo Switch 2 exclusives coming in 2026, neither of which has a concrete release date yet. Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave is the upcoming next major entry in the series, making it the eighteenth mainline Fire Emblem game. Details for the game are still somewhat limited, but its narrative revolves around the Heroic Games, a gladiatorial-style tournament hosted by a mysterious figure known as the Divine Sovereign, where competitors enter for glory, recognition, or to fulfill a personal wish.
Finally, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is a new side-scrolling platformer starring Yoshi that’s exclusive to the Nintendo Switch 2 and is scheduled to launch in Spring 2026. In the game, Yoshi meets a talking book named Mr. E and leaps into its pages to explore a living encyclopedia world, discovering and interacting with unusual creatures whose traits help him solve puzzles and traverse levels in a classic 2D platform adventure style.
Switch Games Confirmed to Receive Switch 2 Upgrades in 2026
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons Nintendo Switch 2 Edition – January 15, 2026
- The Rumble Fish 2 Nintendo Switch 2 Edition – January 22, 2026
- Core Keeper – January 28, 2026
- Card-en-Ciel Nintendo Switch 2 Edition – January 29, 2026
- Human Fall Flat – Spring 2026
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park – Spring 2026
- Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP – Early 2026
- Lorelei and the Laser Eyes – Early 2026
- Sayonara Wild Hearts – Early 2026
There are also plenty of Nintendo Switch games confirmed to receive Switch 2 upgrades in 2026, with several of them positioned to benefit in ways that go beyond minor performance bumps. Games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, and Human Fall Flat are being revisited specifically because their systems and scale arguably stand to gain the most from the Switch 2’s stronger hardware. Other games like Core Keeper, Card-en-Ciel, Lollipop Chansaw RePOP, and Sayonara Wild Hearts are also being optimized for the Switch 2 in 2026, and it’s likely there are more to come that Nintendo has yet to announce.
What Might Still Be on the Horizon for the Switch 2 in 2026
Next Mainline Zelda Reveal
While the Switch 2 upgrades for Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom are great placeholders for the next Zelda game, it would still be nice to actually have a new Zelda game to play. Echoes of Wisdom, which launched in September 2024, is considered a mainline game, but since it was not developed by Nintendo, the likelihood that a proper successor to Tears of the Kingdom has already been in development for some time now is high, which means 2026 could be the year it is at least revealed.
Tears of the Kingdom, in fact, was announced via teaser in 2019, four years ahead of its launch. Breath of the Wild was also announced several years ahead of its own release date, so it’s reasonable to expect the next major Zelda game to be revealed long before it actually arrives as well. Considering there were six years between Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, and TotK launched in 2023, even if the next game isn’t released until 2029, 2026 would still be a perfect year for an announcement. That being said, it’s likely the next mainline Zelda could arrive before 2029, potentially targeting a 2027 or 2028 release window instead.
Mario Kart World DLC or Expansion
There hasn’t been an official announcement from Nintendo about whether Mario Kart World will receive DLC or an expansion in 2026, but since the developer is unlikely to leave the Switch 2’s headlining launch title alone anytime soon, it more than likely will. When looking at Mario Kart 8‘s history, which added dozens of tracks and characters after launch, it would make sense for Mario Kart World to follow a similar pattern, especially when it comes to adding new racers, new skins, and potentially even new tracks. At the same time, it could be that Mario Kart World launched as a complete package and that Nintendo may not have major DLC plans.
More Switch Games Possibly Receiving Switch 2 Upgrades
- Cult of the Lamb
- Hyrule Warriors
- Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
- Fire Emblem: Three Houses
- Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition
Finally, it’s expected that even more Switch games will receive Switch 2 upgrades in 2026, beyond what has already been confirmed. There are more than enough games deserving of an upgrade, and as more players transition to the new hardware, there will be increasing incentive to revisit popular or technically limited Switch titles with improved performance, resolution, or added features. Games like Hyrule Warriors and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity could really benefit from upgrades now that Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment has shown what the Switch 2’s hardware can do with the series’ gameplay. Fire Emblem: Three Houses is also a great candidate for a Switch 2 upgrade, especially if it were used as a placeholder until Fortune’s Weave arrives.
All in all, 2026 is shaping up to be a year when the Nintendo Switch 2 could really deliver in a big way. There are plenty of games on the way that push past what the original Switch could realistically handle, along with upgrades that give older titles a second life on the Switch 2’s upgraded hardware. Whether it’s through major third-party releases, first-party exclusives, or long-awaited reveals still on the horizon, 2026 looks like the year the Switch 2 could prove it was always worth buying.
