Nintendo has surprised fans by announcing not one, but two Nintendo Direct presentations for next week. The first will celebrate The Legend of Zelda’s 40th anniversary on September 8, while a regular Nintendo Direct follows on September 9, lasting approximately 45 minutes and focusing on games coming to Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 during the winter.
That unusual double dose of Nintendo news has naturally sent speculation into overdrive. Nintendo Life gathered predictions from its team, and some of the possibilities are particularly interesting — although, as always, expectations should be kept firmly in the rumor and wishful-thinking department.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time takes the spotlight
The most obvious prediction for the September 8 presentation is The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake.
Nintendo has already confirmed the game for Nintendo Switch 2, but has shared very little about the project since its announcement. Players expects the Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct to provide a more substantial look at the game, potentially accompanied by its release date.
A first trailer for the upcoming live-action Zelda movie is another possibility. With the film getting closer, the anniversary presentation could be a natural place for Nintendo to offer the first teaser. There is also speculation about a Zelda-themed Switch 2 console and accessories, as well as possible announcements connected to the Nintendo Museum.
Some predictions go considerably further, including a potential return of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess. That one should probably remain in the “wouldn’t that be nice?” category for now.
What could appear in the September 9 Direct?
The regular Nintendo Direct is a different beast. Nintendo has confirmed that it will focus on games arriving during the winter, meaning several already announced projects could receive new trailers, release dates or additional details.
Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave is one of the safest bets. The game is scheduled to launch on September 17 for Switch 2, making a final promotional push ahead of release rather hard to ignore.
Nintendo Switch Sports Resort and Xenoblade Genesis are also among predictions. Both would fit naturally into a presentation designed to show what is coming to Switch 2 in the latter part of the year.
Then there are the more ambitious possibilities: a new Animal Crossing, Pikmin 5 or Luigi’s Mansion 4. None of these games has been announced, so they should be treated strictly as fan expectations rather than leaks or confirmed projects.
Interestingly, a new 3D Mario is another major prediction. Switch 2 has been around long enough for Nintendo to finally tease the next big adventure starring its mascot, potentially with a 2027 release window. For other way, revealing Mario immediately after the Zelda presentation could steal some of the spotlight, so we need to wait to see.
Third-party games could also steal the show
Nintendo’s new console has been building a surprisingly broad third-party lineup, and several previously announced projects could finally return to the spotlight. This is an interesting perspective, considering that previous platforms did not have such support.
Games like Marvel Rivals, Crimson Desert and Monster Hunter Wilds as candidates for new information. All three have already been announced for Switch 2, but Nintendo has yet to provide the kind of detailed presentation that could make them stand out to the platform’s audience.
Resident Evil is another possibility. With Resident Evil Requiem and the Resident Evil Code: Veronica remake associated with Switch 2, there is a good chance that additional entries from Capcom’s catalog could make the jump to Nintendo’s hardware.
Persona 4 Revival is another possibility, especially considering its popularity among fans. While the game has not been confirmed for Switch 2, its appearance would certainly qualify as the kind of surprise announcement that can turn an ordinary Direct into a memorable one.
The wild cards
And then there are the predictions that exist mostly because Nintendo has a long history of making fans say “wait, what?”.
A new 2D Metroid is one of the more intriguing suggestions, particularly for fans hoping for something outside the Metroid Prime series. At the completely unpredictable end of the spectrum are things like Nintendogs for Switch or even a new Billy Hatcher & the Giant Egg. Those probably belong in the realm of dreams — but if Nintendo actually announces either one, remember that someone saw it coming.
For now, the safest expectation is that the September 8 Zelda presentation will focus heavily on the franchise’s 40th anniversary, while the September 9 Nintendo Direct should fill in the Switch 2 calendar for the months ahead. Everything else is speculation until Nintendo presses the big red “play” button.