The Switch 2 Direct on April 2, 2025 was chock full of game reveals and new information about the Switch 2 hardware, and much of it was completely hidden from fans before being announced officially in this Switch 2 Direct. Though we got more information about some games we already knew about, there were many surprise Switch 2 reveals that blindsided gamers.
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A new exclusive FromSoftware game, a new Kirby Air Ride game, the true purpose of the Switch 2 Joycon optical sensor and mysterious C button, and even a mention of the perennially awaited Hollow Knight Silksong – there was seemingly no end to big announcements. This list collects some of the most interesting new information and the most surprising games revealed at the Switch 2 Direct.
10
The Switch 2 C Button Is For GameChat…
A New Group & Communication Service From Nintendo
For months, gamers have wondered what the new C button on the right-hand Joycon would be used for. As it turns out, it’s a way to access Nintendo’s new communications service, GameChat. This button enables group voice chat in games and screen share functionality to play games with your friends “like you’re all in the same room”, and this new service works with groups of up to 12 people.
The Switch 2 C button and GameChat will also work with the new Switch 2 USB Camera, which can be used to see each other while playing games together. It can even crop out the background as if you had a green screen behind you.
There were a lot of theories on what the Switch 2 C button is for, but a proprietary Discord-like chat feature was not what many thought this button would be tied to.
9
…And The Joycons Have PC Mouse Capabilities
Many Switch 2 Games Can Use Joycon Mouse Functionality
Though we have known that the Switch 2 Joycons would feature some kind of optical sensor since the initial reveal, Joycon mouse functionality was just a theory until this surprise Switch 2 reveal.
In fact, the reveal went relatively in-depth on what the new Joycons can do with the new mouse functionality, including several games that will benefit from fine-tuned mouse movement.
An expansion to Mario Party Jamboree will take advantage of the new Joycon mouse features for new minigames, for example, while highly anticipated FPS games like Metroid Prime 4 will let players accurately aim in first person. It’s an exciting new addition to the Joycons that comes on top of a litany of other upgrades for these iconic Switch controllers.
- Brand
-
Nintendo
- Operating System
-
Proprietary
- Storage
-
256GB internal / MicroSD
- Resolution
-
1080p (handheld) / 4K (docked)
- Ports
-
2x USB Type-C / 3.5mm audio
- HDR Support
-
Yes
- Original Release Date
-
June 5, 2025
- Original MSRP (USD)
-
$449.99
8
Nintendo Switch 2: Welcome Tour
A Paid Overview Of The New Switch 2 Console
- Nintendo Switch 2: Welcome Tour Release Date:
It’s a common trend with new gaming consoles to include a game that introduces players to the basics of the platform, often a game that tutorializes controls within a unique setting tied to the console.
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The PlayStation 5 came packed with Astro’s Play Room, a critically-acclaimed platformer that turned into TGA 2024 Game of the Year winner Astrobot, while the Steam Deck can run Desk Job, an Aperture Science and Portal-themed intro to Valve’s pioneering handheld PC.
Nintendo Switch 2: Welcome Tour seems to be a game that’s similar to these two pack-in titles, but there is one key difference. Instead of a free, included game, Nintendo Switch 2: Welcome Tour is a paid game that does not come with the console. If you want to learn more about the Switch 2 hardware, you might want to check this one out.
- Released
-
June 5, 2025
- Developer(s)
-
Nintendo
- Nintendo Switch 2 Release Date
-
June 5, 2025
7
Drag x Drive
An Extreme 3v3 Wheelchair Basketball Game
- Drag x Drive Release Date: Summer 2025
One of the first games announced in the Switch 2 Direct was Drag x Drive, a sports game that uses the Switch 2 Joycon mouse functionality to control players’ wheelchairs – the right joycon spins the right wheel, the left joycon spins the left.
It’s certainly an interesting-looking game that doesn’t seem like anything we’ve ever seen before in the sports genre, but the closest comparison one could make is probably Rocket League.
- Released
-
2025
- Developer(s)
-
Nintendo
- Multiplayer
-
Local Multiplayer, Online Multiplayer
6
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Silksong Mentioned – But Only For About Five Seconds
- Hollow Knight: Silksong Release Date: 2025
It’s hard to think of a game that has been more hyped up than Hollow Knight Silksong, and after years without much information to go off of (and several previous release date windows that have long since passed), fans have become ravenous for new information. According to the Switch 2 Direct, Silksong will be released sometime this year.
It’s difficult to believe, but all we saw of Silksong was a few seconds of new footage in a sizzle reel featuring dozens of different titles coming to the Switch 2. In this quick peek Silksong was revealed as being released sometime in 2025. After so long without any major news, Silksong fans were not expecting to hear anything, let alone a confirmed release window, for this long-awaited sequel.
- Franchise
-
Hollow Knight
- Developer(s)
-
Team Cherry
- Engine
-
Unity
- ESRB
-
e
5
Deltarune Chapters 3+4
The Next Two Chapters Of Deltarune, Released At The Same Time
- Deltarune Chapters 3+4 Release Date: June 5, 2025 (Switch 2 launch title)
Toby Fox, creator of Undertale, has slowly released chapters to his next game Deltarune over the last few years. It’s a popular game amongst diehard fans, but until now, the only chapters players had access to were Chapter 1 and Chapter 2.
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The Switch 2 Direct featured a short segment that showed someone in a Toby Fox dog costume reveal not only Deltarune Chapter 3, but also Deltarune Chapter 4. It’s a surprise Switch 2 reveal that’s giving gamers more than what we expected to get, though the game will not be completed until Deltarune Chapter 5 comes out at a yet-to-be revealed date.
- Released
-
October 31, 2018
- Developer(s)
-
Toby Fox
- Engine
-
gamemaker
- ESRB
-
t
4
Mario Kart World Will Be Open-World
The Crew Meets Mario Kart In An Open-World Setting
- Mario Kart World Release Date: June 5, 2025 (Switch 2 launch title)
We saw the new Mario Kart title, Mario Kart World, during the first reveal for the Switch 2. However, the quick peek at the new visuals of the now-confirmed Mario Kart World didn’t show the game’s name or it’s open-world focus.
As it turns out, Mario Kart World will be an open-world take on the traditional Mario Kart formula, a bit like The Crew or other open-world racing games of its ilk. A natural next progression for the series, Mario Kart World will also be available in a special Switch 2 bundle that includes a digital copy of the game.
- Released
-
June 2, 2025
- Multiplayer
-
Local Multiplayer, Online Multiplayer
- ESRB
-
Everyone // Mild Fantasy Violence, Users Interact
3
Kirby Air Riders
The Air Ride Sequel We Didn’t Know We Needed
- Kirby Air Ride Release Date: 2025
One game that absolutely nobody expected from the Switch 2 Direct was Kirby Air Riders, the long-awaited follow-up to the Gamecube Kirby cult classic Kirby Air Ride. Directed by Masahiro Sakurai (the mind behind Kirby and, notably, the Super Smash Bros. series), Kirby Air Riders looks to bring the original game’s fast-paced, energetic races to the modern age.
Though it does seem a bit strange to announce Kirby Air Riders, a racing game, in the same Switch 2 Direct as Mario Kart World, die-hard Kirby fans will surely have a great time with this long-dormant continuation.
- Released
-
2025
- Multiplayer
-
Online Multiplayer, Local Multiplayer
2
The Duskbloods
FromSoftware’s Switch 2 Exclusive That’s Totally Not Bloodborne 2
- The Duskbloods Release Date: 2026
Arguably the most surprising reveal from the Switch 2 Direct was The Duskbloods, a brand-new, fresh IP from FromSoftware that will be exclusive to the Switch 2. Instead of a spiritual successor to Bloodborne as some fans theorized during the reveal trailer, The Duskbloods will be a PvPvE multiplayer game that seems to follow more in the footsteps of Elden Ring: Nightreign than FromSoft’s single-player titles.
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The game is set to release sometime in 2026, and will be directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki himself. Not much else was revealed about this new FromSoftware game, but if the development studio’s track record is anything to go by, it could become a system-selling tentpole of the Switch 2.
- Released
-
2026
- Multiplayer
-
Online Multiplayer
1
Donkey Kong Bananza
Otherwise Known As Donkey Kong 65
- Donkey Kong Bananza Release Date: July 17, 2025
The final game revealed in the Switch 2 direct was a huge surprise. Initially, it looked like it could be a new 3D Mario game, but as soon as players saw the bananas, monkeys, and a big grunting ape smash through a blocked mine, it became obvious that this was a new Donkey Kong game.
We haven’t had a proper 3D platformer Donkey Kong title since Donkey Kong 64, and Donkey Kong Bananza looks like a spiritual successor to this cult classic Nintendo 64 game – DK even says “ooh, banana” in the trailer.
It’s one of the most surprising reveals from the Switch 2 Direct, but after so long without a standalone, full-fledged game with Donkey Kong as the main character, it’s a welcome surprise that could be a huge hit.
Action
Adventure
Platformer
- Released
-
July 17, 2025
- Developer(s)
-
Nintendo
- ESRB
-
Everyone 10+ // Fantasy Violence