Kirby Returns to 3D: A Recap of September’s Nintendo Direct

According to our calculations (and our archives), The Leader hasn’t covered a Nintendo Direct since May 2022. Let’s change that, shall we?

For those out of the loop, a Nintendo Direct serves as a showcase of upcoming games published by Nintendo. The most recent Direct presented a nice combination of old and new, as well as expected announcements and complete surprises. The roughly 45-minute Direct was followed by a nearly two-hour “Nintendo Treehouse: Live” segment, which showcased gameplay from select titles featured during the Direct.

It’s worth noting that this Nintendo Direct was preceded by a special 40th anniversary Direct for The Legend of Zelda on Sept. 8, which focused on the Nintendo Switch 2 remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, scheduled to be released on Nov. 5. The Zelda Direct also revealed the official logo for the highly anticipated “The Legend of Zelda” live-action movie, set for a theatrical release on April 30 of next year.

Without any further ado, though, let’s explore some of the highlights of the Sept. 9, 2026, Nintendo Direct.

New Stuff

One of the first titles to be shown off within the Direct was Square Enix’s Final Fantasy VII Revelation, set to be released on April 8, 2027, as the third and final entry in the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy. Preorders for this game opened on the same day as the Direct, alongside an HD remaster of the game’s prequel, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy, being released on the Switch 2.

The 18th mainline title in the beloved Fire Emblem franchise, Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave, is to be released for the Switch 2 on Sept. 17, bringing back the classic turn-based battle on grid-based maps as players select from four main characters, each having their own unique route.

Level-5’s Professor Layton series is receiving its first new mainline game since 2013, as the long-awaited Professor Layton and the New World of Steam has finally been given an official release date of Dec. 10, 2027. The series’ eighth main installment will see the professor explore a U.S. town named Steam Bison, which features a steampunk aesthetic.

A new 2D Metroid game, Metroid Ravenous, was announced for release on the Switch 2 upon Jan. 28, 2027, with amiibo based on the game being made available the same day. And speaking of amiibo, various figurines based on Kirby Air Riders will be released on Nov. 12.

Nintendo Switch Sports Resort, a sequel to the 2022 Nintendo Switch title Nintendo Switch Sports, was also announced during the Direct, being given a worldwide release date of Oct. 22 for the Switch 2.

The 12th mainline entry in the Mega Man series, Mega Man: Dual Override, is set to be released sometime in the spring of 2027, featuring the series’ classic side-scrolling 2D platforming.

Miscellaneous new titles revealed in the Direct include Bloober Team’s horror game Onyx: The Dark Grip, Ghost Town Games’ co-op title Stage Fright, and the tasty-looking 3D adventure platformer Ondeh Ondeh: Kaya’s Tasty Tale.

Remakes and Ports

The Direct kicked off by announcing a Switch 2 version of Capcom’s Monster Hunter Wilds, bringing local co-op to the console on Dec. 4. A “definitive edition” of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity will also be brought to the Switch 2, with a declared release date of Feb. 25, 2027.

Longtime fans of hide-and-seek are sure to find enjoyment in the Switch 2 port of Lemorion_1224 and Haganeiro’s Meccha Chameleon, a competitive multiplayer title released on the day of the Direct. Chameleons attempt to hide from seekers by painting themselves certain colors and patterns to blend in with their surroundings.

A remake of 2014’s Yo-kai Watch 2, titled Yo-kai Watch 2: Haunted Domain, was announced for the Switch 2 but not given a release date. Fortunately, a port of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is set to arrive on the Switch 2 shortly before Christmas, on Dec. 3.

The next remake in the Persona series, Persona 4 Revival, is first arriving on the Switch 2 on Feb. 18, with Persona 6 joining the system at an unspecified time.

Switch 2 versions are also in store for the action-adventure game Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Night, The Game Bakers’ climbing game Cairn, three of Capcom’s Resident Evil titles, and the 1996 action-adventure game Tomb Raider (under the title Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis).

DLC and Expansion Packs

As for downloadable content (DLC), the second part of the three-part Pokémon Pokopia Expansion Pass is set to add in-game accessories, plus three new Pokémon, sometime within the rest of 2026.

A free update for Star Fox, first available on Sept. 30, will add local four-player split-screen, while 2002’s Star Fox Adventures was introduced to the Switch 2’s Nintendo Classics library on the day of the Direct.

A Switch 2 version for Pikmin 4, titled Pikmin 4 + Dandori Academy, is set to bring dozens of new stages, community events, and even voice commands for the player’s space dog companion, Oatchi, upon its scheduled Nov. 12 release.

Last but not least, on the day of the Direct, 10 classic Mario Kart SNES tracks were added in an update to Mario Kart World.

Kirby 😀

The latest Nintendo Direct concluded with the reveal of a new Kirby game: Kirby and the World Beyond. This upcoming installment continues the 3D exploration introduced in the most recent mainline Kirby game, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, which was released almost five years ago in March 2022.

We aren’t able to glimpse much from the trailer, though we do get to see Kirby launch King Dedede into the sky, which apparently creates a hole shattering the fabric of space-time and reality itself, giving many viewers true “The Truman Show” vibes. Nice.

Kirby’s next adventure is set for release in the spring of 2027, coinciding with the 35th anniversary of Kirby’s first adventure in the 1992 platform game Kirby’s Dream Land.