Nintendo is gearing up to present a brand-new Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase on Thursday, February 5th. This event will exclusively feature games developed by third-party studios for both the current Nintendo Switch and the upcoming Switch 2, moving away from Nintendo's own first-party titles for this particular presentation. The showcase, which will be accessible via Nintendo's YouTube channel, is scheduled for 6 a.m. PST/9 a.m. EST and is expected to last for approximately half an hour, offering a focused look at external contributions to the Nintendo ecosystem.
While Nintendo has kept the specific lineup of third-party developers and games under wraps, the gaming community is abuzz with speculation. Capcom, for instance, has several titles that could potentially make an appearance, including the rumored Resident Evil Requiem for Switch 2 and ports of Resident Evil 7 biohazard and Resident Evil Village. Other potential showcases from Capcom include the intriguing Pragmata or Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection. FromSoftware also has a couple of highly anticipated projects for the Switch 2, such as Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition and The Duskbloods, indicating a strong third-party presence on the new console. Additionally, Square Enix's The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales and Level-5's Professor Layton and the New World of Steam are slated for 2026, making them potential candidates for early reveals.
Beyond confirmed projects, rumors are circulating about numerous other ports destined for the Switch 2. Popular role-playing games like Final Fantasy 16 and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 are reportedly in the pipeline. However, some titles are less likely to appear, such as the indefinitely delayed port of Borderlands 4 and a Switch 2 version of Baldur's Gate 3, which Larian Studio has indicated is no longer actively being pursued due to their relationship with Hasbro. This Partner Showcase follows recent Nintendo livestreams that focused on specific titles like The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, further diversifying Nintendo's content presentations.
The upcoming Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase promises to deliver an exciting glimpse into the future of third-party gaming on Nintendo platforms, highlighting the diverse range of experiences that will be available to players. Fans are eagerly awaiting the 30-minute presentation to discover what new adventures and beloved franchises will be making their way to the Switch and its successor, reinforcing the strong relationships Nintendo maintains with external development studios.