Nintendo Switch (2) In 2025: Most-Anticipated Games And What To Expect

Nintendo has a big year ahead. Not only is it preparing to launch the Switch 2, the long-awaited next-generation successor to the wildly popular Nintendo Switch, but it also has a bevy of big games coming. Some of them are games that have been announced on the original Switch, while others may be dual-platform, and still others could launch as exclusives for Switch 2. For the purposes of this list, we included everything in the Switch family of systems, which includes both the original and Switch 2.

That means we can look forward to Switch getting big games at launch like Civilization VII and Citizen Sleeper 2, Nintendo exclusives like Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, and very likely a new Mario Kart game on Switch 2. And that's before Nintendo has revealed most of its own 2025 lineup, which we expect in the coming months. Nintendo has already announced a Nintendo Direct for Switch 2 coming on April 2, where we expect to see much more of what the new system has to offer. In the meantime, check out all the biggest games we're already looking forward to below.

We've picked several games we're looking forward to, but check out our list of 2025 Switch game releases for a more comprehensive look. For even more of this year's anticipated releases, use our 2025 release dates lists to mark your calendars and start stashing cash in that piggybank.

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After months of speculation and leaks, Nintendo showed off the Switch 2, confirming much of what we knew. The new system is slightly bigger but ultimately carries the form factor of the original Switch, albeit with a new Joy-Con design that at least seems to confirm the rumors of a new magnetic attachment feature. If your hope has been for a better, stronger, faster Switch, this appears ready to deliver.

But there's still plenty we don't know. Rumors have abounded that the Joy-Cons will also sport mouse-like functionality, and those rumors only heated up when the debut video showed the Joy-Cons being dragged along their side. Then there's the outstanding questions around its release. When is it coming? How much will it cost? What will the launch library look like? We'll get the answers to at least some of these questions with a Switch 2-focused Nintendo Direct on April 2.

The Switch 2 seems bound to do very well for Nintendo, but the original Switch is still going strong, and some anticipated games like Metroid Prime 4: Beyond have already been announced. That suggests the possibility that some games will be cross-platform, with releases planned for both Switch and Switch 2. That also may extend into the company's recent back-catalog, with games like Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Tears of the Kingdom, or Mario & Luigi: Brothership.

Going hand-in-hand with cross-generation releases, the overlapping platforms could mean that older Switch games will get a performance boost. Nintendo has confirmed that Switch 2 will be backwards compatible with Switch games, but that functionality will be limited. Nintendo has not yet specified what those limitations will be. Still, it stands to reason that some games that seemed to struggle to run smoothly on Switch, like Tears of the Kingdom and Pokemon Sword and Shield, or games that ran but only at low-resolution like Xenoblade Chronicles or The Witcher 3, could benefit from the added horsepower of Switch 2.

And of course, all eyes are on the April 2 reveal event to learn more about Nintendo's first-party lineup. Nintendo always makes its systems shine with its own games, and there's been a noticeable slowdown in new first-party output from Nintendo in the waning days of the Switch. Many fans have naturally presumed that means it's saving its powder for the new console, but it's anyone's guess how many of its big franchises it will have ready for launch, and which ones will be held back for later. Even Mario Kart 9, which was the only game shown in the Switch 2 debut announcement, isn't guaranteed for launch yet (nor do we know its name or whether it is actually a brand-new game). We'll just have to wait to see.

• Developer: BattleBrew Productions
• Release Date: January 28, 2025

A clever combination of dungeon-crawler and restaurant-management sim, Cuisineer has already been a hit on PC, and now Switch players get to cook. Delve into dungeons to find materials and ingredients and then head back to wow your customers. The Switch version will include new weapons, festivals, and a wardrobe feature.

• Developer: Sunblink
• Release Date: January 30, 2025

If you're itching for a new comfy life sim in the realm of Animal Crossing, this Hello Kitty game might be just the ticket. Already a hit on mobile, you'll get to know the wide cast of Hello Kitty characters as you bake and craft gifts and renovate houses for your friends.

• Developer: Brainwash Gang
• Release Date: January 30, 2025

This post-apocalyptic metroidvania bills itself as a motorvania, as you navigate the burnt-out wastelands on your souped-up motorbike. In addition to exploring the world, you'll have to perform dangerous motor stunts and reload your gun by performing a backflip on your bike, just to be extra stylish.

• Developer: Jump Over The Age
• Release Date: January 31, 2025

This sequel to the cult-hit RPG has you navigate a rich and branching story with the roll of your dice. You're an escaped android dogged by a bounty, finding your way through space as you recruit a crew and take on contracts.

• Developer: TrampolineTales
• Release Date: February 6, 2025

A slot-machine roguelike, Luck Be a Landlord has you making your way through increasingly tough challenges by building a deck to stack the odds in your favor. Collect symbols and build your synergies to win big and pay your landlord.

• Developer: Firaxis
• Release Date: February 11, 2025

The next game in the long-running Civilization franchise is coming to Switch right alongside its other platforms for the first time in the series' history.Civilization 7introduces new leaders and civilizations to play, while also introducing a new "Ages" feature that divides your culture's development into distinct segments.

• Developer: Foreign Gnomes
• Release Date: March 4, 2025

An action-RPG with a music-based combat system, Everhood 2 expands on the first game with more than 100 songs, a trippy visual style, and custom battle-editor support.

• Developer: Konami
• Release Date: March 6, 2025

The classic PlayStation RPGs are getting a remaster on Nintendo Switch. These renowned RPGs are known for their massive roster sizes full of lovable characters, and an epic story of kingdom-building and war that spans across both games.

• Developer: Monolith Soft
• Release Date: March 20, 2025

Part of the renowned series of Japanese RPGs, Xenoblade Chronicles X is getting a modernized port on Switch. This version of the game will sport enhanced visuals and new story elements, so even returning fans have something to look forward to.

• Developer: Adglobe
• Release Date: March 25, 2025

This beautiful and atmospheric metroidvania has been a hit on PC, and now it is getting a Switch port. In a post-apocalyptic fantasy setting, you set out to save artificial life forms known as Homunculi from a sickness that drives them into a feral state.

• Developer: Weta Workshop
• Release Date: March 25, 2025

Middle-earth has tales of rings and great wars, but this particular story is about relaxing in your idyllic hobbit homeland. You'll garden, fish, forage, and make friends with other hobbit folk.

• Developer: Level-5 Comcept
• Release Date: April 2025

The original Fantasy Life was a modest cult hit and praised for its broad degree of flexibility, and its sequel looks to be even more ambitious. The life sim will let you choose from a wide variety of jobs, and swap them at will, to perfect your skills as you explore an island trapped between time periods.

• Developer: GungHo America
• Release Date: April 18, 2025

The two classic Lunar RPGs are coming in one package. These remastered games from the 1990s include new quality-of-life features along with enhanced graphics and audio.

• Developer: Marvelous
• Release Date: May 30, 2025

The Rune Factory series is coming back once again for another round of farming in a fantasy setting. This time you take the role of an Earth Dancer, who can use the magical power of dancing to tend to your farms and purify the land.

• Developer: Capcom
• Release Date: 2025

Another compilation of classic Capcom fighting games is on the way this year. This time it's an eclectic mix of Capcom vs SNK and Power Stone games, along with others like Project Justice, Plasma Sword, and more. Here's everything included:

• Capcom vs SNK
• Capcom vs SNK 2
• Capcom Fighting Evolution
• Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper
• Power Stone
• Power Stone 2
• Project Justice
• Plasma Sword

• Developer: Square Enix
• Release Date: 2025

After a lovely remake of Dragon Quest 3 in Square Enix's HD-2D style, it's going back to release the first two games in the series as well. Dragon Quest tells one continuous story, so together these two games will make up a trilogy of connected RPG classics.

• Developer: Supermassive Games
• Release Date: 2025

The co-op atmospheric adventure series is back for more spooky thrills, challenging you to solve puzzles and survive in a nightmarish world. This time development is being handled by Supermassive, known for Until Dawn and the Dark Pictures anthology.

• Developer: Retro Studios
• Release Date: 2025

The long-awaited Metroid Prime 4 finally showed its first glimpse of gameplay footage last year, including a 2025 release date. The trailer showed lots of familiar Prime mainstays like scanning creatures and lock-on targeting, along with what appeared to be its antagonist.

• Developer: Game Freak
• Release Date: 2025

Pokemon Legends: Arceus was a clever change to the Pokemon formula set in a historical region. The upcoming Pokemon Legends Z-A appears to be more modern-day and set in the Paris-like Kalos region. Not many details are known about this upcoming title, but the Legends subtitle suggests another open world and different capturing mechanics than the traditional Pokemon games.

• Developer: Brace Yourself Games
• Release Date: 2025

Cadence from Crypt of the NecroDancer is back for a spin-off that breaks from the previous games with a whole new battle system. This game has you take part in rhythm gameplay across a musical-notes track, with a new soundtrack from Danny Baranowsky & friends.

• Developer: Team Cherry
• Release Date: TBA

The long-delayed Silksong is still at the very top of many players' wishlists, and for good reason. The first game, Hollow Knight, is widely considered one of the best metroidvanias of all time, and Silksong appears to be an ambitious follow-up.

• Developer: Nintendo
• Release Date: TBA

Perhaps the most speculative entry on this list, Mario Kart 9 is such a mystery that we don't even know if it will officially be called Mario Kart 9. All we know so far is what little Nintendo showed during its announcement of the Switch 2, showcasing some characters and a possibly higher number of racers, but it was a tantalizing glimpse nonetheless.

• Developer: Level-5
• Release Date: TBA

Every puzzle has an answer! Professor Layton is back with another set of puzzling mysteries to solve. Layton and his ward Luke are fully rendered in 3D, but with an animated visual style that looks right at home next to the other games, and it's just as full of cool spatial and logic puzzles.

• Developer: Sega
• Release Date: TBA

After a long hiatus, the Sonic Racing series is coming back with a new game that ventures across time and space in addition to land, sea, and air. The teaser trailer didn't show us much aside from Shadow's rad hot rod, but that was enough to get us excited.