Nintendo still hasn’t announced the Switch 2 – but you wouldn’t think that was the case if you’ve spent any time on social media in the last couple of days. As tech event CES 2025 continues, videos and images have emerged of alleged mock-up console designs from accessory maker Genki, which claims to have molded them after the real deal.
If it’s to be believed, we might have been given our first proper glimpse of what the console will look like, but is that going to push Nintendo into getting its official reveal out sooner than planned? Two former marketing leads at the company don’t think so. Krysta Yang, former senior manager of creator relations and original content, and leader of the Switch launch campaign, has spoken out about the situation on Twitter, and is convinced that Nintendo is “not budging” from whatever announcement date it has planned out.
“As wild as these leaks are Nintendo is going to stick to their plan,” Yang writes. “They have a date in mind and they are not budging no matter what.”
As wild as these leaks are Nintendo is going to stick to their plan. They have a date in mind and they are not budging no matter whatJanuary 8, 2025
This same sentiment has been echoed by Kit Ellis – Nintendo of America’s former director of social media marketing and original content, who also served as a co-host of the official Nintendo Minute YouTube series alongside Yang. In a video shared on the Kit & Krysta Patreon page, Ellis says: “I don’t think Nintendo is going to change their plans.”
Despite believing the company is “going to stay the course,” he adds that “Krysta and I have looked at the calendar coming up and identified that, yeah, once you get out of this week – once you get out of CES week – there are some good pockets of time for them to announce this before the end of January.” The pair can’t know “exactly when,” of course, although Ellis suggests Nintendo is “probably gonna steer clear of that US inauguration,” but outside of that and “past this week, there’s some dates that look good.”
Ellis also states that Nintendo values “long-term” plans over “short-term” opportunities, the latter of which it’d be taking by reacting to the alleged Switch 2 leaks now. Obviously, “it’s an uncomfortable time for them now, they don’t like what’s happening,” but “a lot of this is going to be in the rear-view mirror” once the announcement is actually made, especially since no games or software have leaked.
Beyond that, Ellis also notes the “high degree of risk” that’d come with changing plans last minute, which might see things go “haywire” or not work out like they were supposed to. “I understand and I tend to side with them, on the side of, yeah, this is bad, this is not good, this sucks, but we’re going to stick to the original plan and we’re gonna have a great announcement when that day finally comes. And by all accounts, we’re very close,” he adds.
Ellis and Yang both left Nintendo in 2022, so they obviously can’t know everything that’s going on behind the scenes right now at the company, but their experience puts them in a great place to provide some insight on how Nintendo is likely to be handling the current situation. Hopefully though, we do get some official news sooner rather than later.