The Biggest Switch 2 Games to Look Forward to in 2026

The recent surprise Nintendo Direct confirmed what had been rumored for weeks now: that a new Star Fox game would be arriving this year as a Switch 2 exclusive. Notably, those same rumors also included mention of a full-blown remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and with Star Fox for Switch 2 being both real and a remake of Star Fox 64, signs are pointing to that Ocarina of Time remake being a very distinct possibility. But even without any confirmation of Ocarina of Time getting a Switch 2 remake, there are still plenty of incredible games heading to the Switch 2 in the back half of 2026, capping off the system's first year on the market and setting the stage for what could be an incredible second year.

• Release Date — May 21, 2026
• Developer — Nintendo EPD
• Publisher — Nintendo
• Genre — Platformer

In just under two weeks, Switch 2 owners will finally get their hands on the latest game to star Mario's iconic mount, Yoshi, with Yoshi and the Mysterious Book arriving on May 21. Like the previous Yoshi-centric games in the wider Mario canon, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book does some really unique and eye-catching things with its visuals and platforming gameplay, following suit from titles like Yoshi's Wooly World and Yoshi's Crafted World. Preview footage for Mysterious Book has pointed to it having some really inventive level design and that Nintendo charm that players have come to expect from the company's first-party titles, and it should be a great pick-up for older and younger gamers to play together.

• Release Date — June 3, 2026
• Developer — Square Enix Creative Business Unit I
• Publisher — Square Enix
• Genre — Action RPG

The next major AAA port heading to the Switch 2 is a big one. Just a few months after the release of the excellent port of Final Fantasy VII Remake, console owners are getting their own Switch 2 port of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and early impressions are as strong for it as they were for Remake. Square Enix's work on the Remake port elevated it to being one of the best AAA third-party releases on the Switch 2, and the news that its much larger, more ambitious sequel is headed down the same path is great news for anyone who's been waiting to play this phenomenal remake. With any luck, it'll be a similarly shorter wait between Rebirth and the upcoming third entry in the remake project trilogy, potentially launching simultaneously on multiple platforms.

• Release Date — June 18, 2026
• Developer — Square Enix, Claytechworks
• Publisher — Square Enix
• Genre — Action RPG

Speaking of Square Enix, the company has more than just ports in store for the Switch 2 this summer, with the back half of June hosting the very promising The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales. While Adventures of Elliot is a multi-platform release, it's worth pointing out that the game made its original reveal during a Nintendo Direct showcase and had a Switch 2 demo long before Square released a playable slice of gameplay on other platforms. Essentially, this feels like a game that was designed with a Switch 2 audience in mind before becoming a multi-platform release, and it shows in the title's action RPG gameplay and excellent use of the HD-2D visual style popularized by another Square Enix Switch classic: Octopath Traveler. Anyone who enjoys old-school Zelda games or the Ys series will want to scoop this one up.

• Release Date — June 25, 2026
• Developer — Nintendo EPD
• Publisher — Nintendo
• Genre — On-Rails Shooter, Flight Combat

Before we even caught a glimpse of what the game would be, the prospect of a Switch 2 exclusive Star Fox game was one of the most exciting things to wind up in the gaming rumor mill. Thankfully, the confirmation of its existence and debut trailer from the surprise Nintendo Direct a week ago validated that excitement, with the Big N pulling back the curtain on an incredibly cool-looking modern-day remake of the most beloved game in the series: Star Fox 64. As great as a brand-new adventure in the Star Fox universe would have been, it's exciting to see Nintendo testing the waters for the franchise's return with a safer bet of a remake, and the $49.99 price point is a great change of pace from the now-standard $70 MSRP for most AAA releases.

• Release Date — July 23, 2026
• Developer — Nintendo EPD
• Publisher — Nintendo
• Genre — Action-Adventure, Shooter

Hot on the heels of Nintendo releasing the new Star Fox remake, we have yet another exciting first-party release in the form of Splatoon Raiders, the new single-player spin-off to the traditionally multiplayer mainline Splatoon series. Splatoon Raiders is a story-based action-adventure game with some great-looking third-person shooting that allows players who have always admired the series from the sidelines the chance to get on board without having to engage with a competitive shooter, and it's great to see Nintendo get some more mileage out of this franchise. Splatoon 2 was one of the best-selling games in the original Nintendo Switch library, so a single-player spin-off set within the franchise could be huge.

• Release Date — August 2026
• Developer — Square Enix Creative Studio III
• Publisher — Square Enix
• Genre — MMORPG

One of the biggest AAA ports making its way to the Switch 2 this year is yet another Square Enix project, with the company bringing its massively multiplayer mega-hit Final Fantasy XIV to the handheld this August. No official release date yet outside of that vague month window, but to say that Final Fantasy XIV on the Switch 2 will be interesting to observe is an understatement. Nintendo hardware isn't exactly known for its online functionality, which makes a fully online RPG like Final Fantasy XIV running on the system a daunting prospect. Still, if any company can pull it off, it's Square Enix, which has already shown plenty of aptitude for developing on the hardware. The Switch 2 getting its own MMORPG will be a major event, especially if connectivity issues are ironed out before launch.

• Release Date — September 17, 2026
• Developer — Nihon Falcom
• Publisher — Gung Ho
• Genre — JRPG

Last year's Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter was one of the year's best video game remakes and one of its best RPGs, and its Switch 2 version was arguably the definitive way to play the game. Nihon Falcom is following suit this year by bringing its sequel, Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter, over to the platform, and it's already looking like it'll be every bit as essential as its predecessor for Switch 2-owning RPG fans. There are plans to remake most of the older Trails games on modern hardware, and Nihon Falcom is even bringing over a more accessible and playable collection of the much-beloved Trails From Zero and Trails to Azure this year, so fans of the Legend of Heroes series are going to be eating good in the coming years, especially if they own a Switch 2.

• Release Date — 2026
• Developer — FromSoftware
• Publisher — Nintendo
• Genre — Action RPG

Take this one with a grain of salt, but FromSoftware's The Duskbloods is technically still on track for a 2026 launch. We just don't know anything else about it beyond what was shown off as part of the Switch 2's reveal last year. From recent reports, FromSoftware's Switch 2 Elden Ring port (more on that momentarily) is in a much better state ahead of its planned launch this year, which could very well point to The Duskbloods also still meeting that planned 2026 release window. If it doesn't, that'll be bad news for Nintendo, as FromSoftware's new PvPvE action RPG is poised to be one of the Switch 2's killer apps. Here's hoping that we get an update, a new trailer, and maybe even a demo as part of the planned summer Nintendo Direct showcase.

• Release Date — 2026
• Developer — FromSoftware
• Publisher — Bandai Namco
• Genre — Action RPG

The Duskbloods is just one of FromSoftware's planned releases for the Switch 2 this year, as console owners also have the Tarnished Edition of Elden Ring to look forward to at some point in 2026. When the Tarnished Edition made its public debut at Gamescom last year, impressions were very mixed, with many pointing out that the Switch 2 seemed to struggle to run the game. FromSoftware quickly pulled the title, went dark, and then re-unveiled it earlier this year, with the more recent hands-on impressions proving to be very positive and more in line with what we've seen from other high-profile AAA ports on the console. We still don't have a set release date, but expect to get Elden Ring on the Switch 2 sometime before the end of 2026, possibly in the post-GTA6 holiday season.

• Release Date — 2026
• Developer — Intelligent Systems
• Publisher — Nintendo
• Genre — TRPG

Outside of the potential Ocarina of Time remake, the last major first-party release for 2026 that we know anything about is the upcoming new entry in the Fire Emblem franchise: Fortune's Weave. From the debut trailer and preview screenshots, it seems likely that Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave will be another ambitious expansion of the Fire Emblem formula like Three Houses, blending social simulation and slice-of-life gameplay elements with the series' trademark turn-based tactical battling. With how incredible Three Houses is, we can't wait for a Switch 2-exclusive Fire Emblem title that makes the most of the console's more powerful hardware.