6 Big Predictions For September's Nintendo Direct

Published Sep 6, 2026, 1:00 PM EDT Tom Wilson is a Gaming Features Writer at Screen Rant. Over the past five years, Tom has worked as the Editor-in-Chief at The Game Crater, as a Staff Writer for GamingIntel, a List Writer at TheGamer, and, of course, as a Senior Writer at ScreenRant. Tom has experience writing reviews, guides, news, and features, and has been responsible for teams of writers, training them and editing their work. Tom graduated with a Masters in Multimedia Journalism, and has since gone on to build up his portfolio of games journalism work. It would seem that a Nintendo Direct is likely happening in September 2026. This is, of course, not terribly surprising, as there has been a Nintendo Direct in September every single year save for 2024. However, a recent leak of the upcoming Just Dance game from Ubisoft, Just Dance: Decade of Hits, prompted the developer to announce that more details would be coming on September 10. Just Dance tends to play a big role in Nintendo's Directs, so it isn't a stretch to assume that the event is scheduled for September 10. Of course, it hasn't been long since the last Nintendo Direct, which focused exclusively on the upcoming Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave. However, one can likely expect this to be a much bigger event, focusing on both first-party releases and major third-party fare. So, in preparation for the event, here are a few predictions that could very much come true, ranging from fairly obvious choices to some truly wild speculation that one can only hope ends up being a reality. 6 Pokémon Winds & Waves Gameplay Deep Dive & Release Date Plus Ruby & Sapphire Ports Announced Pokémon Winds and Waves was announced back in February with a pretty impressive look at the game itself. Game Freak didn't shy away from showing off what it was capable of doing with the Nintendo Switch 2's advanced hardware, and while we didn't get to see uninterrupted gameplay clips, we did see in-engine footage of the world, trainers, and landmarks. It was all quite impressive. However, it has been seven months since then, and we've seen little else of the game. With just how many new Pokémon Winds and Waves details have leaked or been confirmed since February, it would make sense for Game Freak to drop a gameplay deep dive during what is often Nintendo's biggest Direct of the year. It would cap off the 30th anniversary celebrations perfectly and gear fans up for when it releases. I also predict that we'll get a release date for Pokémon Winds and Waves at the end of the gameplay reveal, and it'll be sometime during November 2027. As an added bonus, I also predict that Nintendo will announce ports of both Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire for the Nintendo Switch. We got Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen ports earlier this year, and there have been rumors of Ruby and Sapphire ports ever since. As the 30th anniversary celebrations are coming to an end, it would make sense for Nintendo to reveal them now and perhaps even shadow drop them on the same day. 5 Ocarina of Time Remake Deep Dive Confirmed For An October Release Date It seems like an obvious prediction, but The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake will almost certainly get a gameplay trailer during the alleged Nintendo Direct. It was announced back in June 2026, but unlike Winds and Waves, Nintendo just left us with a vague CG trailer (or potentially in-engine footage, but just of Link sleeping). So, especially considering that the game is still scheduled to release during 2026, it makes sense for Nintendo to reveal what fans can actually expect from the remake, how it looks, runs, and, most importantly, what changes are coming to Ocarina of Time. I also predict that we'll get a specific release date for Ocarina of Time during this Nintendo Direct. Previously, Nintendo just gave an ambiguous 2026 release date, which was concerning as there was only half of the year left, leaving many to assume it would inevitably be delayed. However, I believe that Nintendo will confirm that Ocarina of Time is releasing in October, to give Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave a chance to breathe, to avoid clashing with GTA 6 (not that there's a huge amount of crossover), and to be close to the holiday season to benefit from additional sales. 4 Xenoblade Genesis Gets Update Xenosaga Ports Announced Alongside It Xenoblade Genesis was announced back in June with a handful of in-engine clips showcasing its new cast of characters and more fantasy-leaning setting. Since then, we've not heard much about it, although long-time series composer Yasunori Mitsuda recently confirmed that the recording of the game's soundtrack had wrapped via X. Xenoblade Genesis is likely to release during Q2 or the start of Q3 (so between May and July) in 2027, so an update, even if it's just a little bit more gameplay, could pop up during this Direct. A more rogue prediction, and one that likely stems from wishful thinking, is that Monolith Soft will announce a collection of Xenosaga ports for the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2. The studio recently added Momo from Xenosaga to Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Switch 2 Edition, and a Xenosaga mobile game, titled Xenosaga: Pied Piper, was ported to Steam in April 2026. Considering that Nintendo has a fairly strong relationship with Bandai Namco (the rights holders of Xenosaga), and that Xenoblade Chronicles has been very successful, it would make sense to finally port the series to current-gen consoles. 3 New Nintendogs Game Is Announced Coming To Switch 2 In 2027 This may seem like an odd prediction, but it feels like it is finally time for Nintendo to reveal a brand-new Nintendogs game. The last game in the series was released 15 years ago in 2011 for the Nintendo 3DS, so it is undeniably time for Nintendo to revive the series. The company is forever renewing trademarks for Nintendogs, which means it can always reveal a new game, and with the Switch 2's new mouse controls, it feels like a perfect fit for the new handheld. It also feels like an easy win for Nintendo, as the series was beloved, sold extremely well on the Nintendo DS, and would appeal to younger gamers (as well as adults with nostalgia for Nintendogs) looking for something new to play on their new console. Considering Nintendo revived Star Fox earlier this year, is remaking Ocarina of Time later this year, and has even brought back older Pokémon games, it would be all that surprising to see it dig a little deeper into its vast library of abandoned games and pull Nintendogs back into existence, at least one last time. 2 Super Mario Odyssey 2 Announced Or A New 3D Mario Release It feels like this has to be included in absolutely every Nintendo Direct prediction list, but could this truly be the time Nintendo announces a brand-new 3D Mario game? Possibly. Super Mario Odyssey was released back in 2017, which means, come October 27, 2026, it'll have been 9 years since the last mainline 3D Mario game came out. That's a rather significant wait for what is ostensibly one of Nintendo's biggest franchises in its most popular form. However, it could have all been at least somewhat purposeful, as Nintendo could simply have been waiting for Super Mario Odyssey's 10th anniversary to release the sequel. That is, of course, pure speculation and likely not true, but you never know. Nintendo could, at the very least, pitch it to its mostly patient fanbase that way and utilize the occasion to generate hype. It would also be a huge reveal for the Direct that would help perfectly cap it off and finally appease Mario fans who've been waiting far too long for the next entry in the 3D Mario series. Alternatively, if it's not Super Mario Odyssey 2, Nintendo could reveal a brand-new 3D Mario game, one that perhaps aims to be as ambitious as Donkey Kong Bananza and utilize the Switch 2 hardware to pull off something we never thought possible for the series. 1 Animal Crossing Is Getting A New Game And It's Coming In 2027 Another game that feels like a perpetual mainstay in Nintendo Direct prediction lists is the next Animal Crossing. Fans have been waiting six years for Nintendo to announce something even remotely resembling a new entry, especially as there hasn't been a major Animal Crossing: New Horizons update since January 2026. It would make sense for Nintendo to finally reveal a brand-new Animal Crossing game during the alleged September 2026 Nintendo Direct, as it would mean that it's likely coming in 2027, and thus Nintendo would have at least ended the interminable wait to just seven years. Of course, we may all just have to wait 10 years, as Mario fans have been for Super Mario Odyssey 2's successor. It is odd that Animal Crossing isn't higher on the list of Nintendo's priorities, especially considering how successful New Horizons proved to be. Then again, the studio does have multiple immensely popular franchises, each with its own dedicated fanbases to appease. So, perhaps it simply has its hands full. I suppose we'll see in the allegedly upcoming Nintendo Direct, during which I will be sitting with every finger and toe crossed, hoping these predictions come true. 9/10 Brand Nintendo Original Release Date June 5, 2025 Original MSRP (USD) $449.99 Operating System Proprietary Storage 256GB internal / MicroSD