Despite the strong implication that a Nintendo Direct will finally take place on June 29th (along with official confirmation of a Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Direct this week!), we were pretty convinced that Nintendo would announce and host a Direct during the week of "not-E3" when all the other major publishers were showing off their own goodies. As each showcase concluded, however, a niggling thought started to burrow its way into our minds: "what if Nintendo just doesn't do one?". It's a frightening prospect since Nintendo has been a pretty consistent presence during the week of E3, whether it's actually showcasing games at a live event, or simply hosting a Direct around the same time.
That's clearly not happening this year, and while yes, we know there still may be a Direct at the end of the month, it still hurts, y'know? But it's not all doom and gloom, as our lovely video team (and Kate!) can attest to. They spend a good half an hour going through some of the more overlooked gems hidden amongst the plethora of announcements this month, showcasing some upcoming Switch titles that you will definitely want to keep an eye on as you wait for the inevitable "big Direct" to drop.
So check out the video below, let us know what your favourite games are from the discussion, and whether you think a Nintendo Direct will actually happen this month!
Comments 67
"Despite the strong implication that a Nintendo Direct will finally take place on June 29th"
And by strongly implied you actually mean completely unfounded.
What games? We know of games coming but no actual release dates. For all we know Bayonetta 3 is delayed until next year. Prime 4 and Advance Wars are cancelled. BOTW 2 is delayed until 2024 with new hardware and will be the pack in. Persona is again a no show but we get the Dancing spin-off games in a collection exclusive for switch.
Speak for yourself. I personally didn't find much at all to my taste in Sony or Microsoft's presentations, and don't look now but the back half of 2022 (especially the Christmas season) could seriously use a few major releases for the Switch. It's WAY past time for Advance Wars to get a firm and final release date, and we should be due for the next Mario Kart 8 Deluxe track pass wave as well, just for starters. The first half of 2022 has been very good, but most of the announcements from the last major Direct have already released by now or are coming very soon; it's time for more news.
@Screen I wouldn't say completely unfounded. They almost always have a June direct regardless of who leaks what. I think it's more of a given at this point, be it the 29th or even sometime in July.
Only on a Nintendo-related site could we have articles like this and it's considered normal. Lol
@Wordbonder
I agree that we are getting a direct, but pretending someone on twitter has inside information is about as likely as a lunatic on the street corner knows when the world will end.
"We don't want stupid indie games or Xenobad 3, we want Super Mario Odyssey 2!"
-Some random fanboy on Twitter
I'm not interested in a lot of third party stuff though, I have a huge backlog of them anyway. I'm waiting on new first party announcements. I have nothing to get excited for in the foreseeable future except Pokemon Scarlet/Violet and BotW2, I'm looking for Nintendo to announce something else because I don't care about the Xenoblades and the Fire Emblems and the Advance Wars and the Bayonettas and the Mario + Rabbids.
My backlog is already infinite, I can hold on forever even if there was never another Nintendo game.
So by the wikipedia, Nintendo had June directs each year since 2012, except for 2016 and 2020, where they made directs only for one line of games (Culdcept and Pokemon).
When they did have a single-game direct in June, it usually followed the regular direct, except once in 2019.
So yeah, it looks like we won't be getting our Direct. But that's fine.
There’s a Direct coming. Although it’ll focus on third-parties.
I saw Puff Pals: Island Skies in the thumbnail and I had to comment. That game is the most adorable thing I have ever had the pleasure of viewing. I'm hoping that it is as awesome as it is adorable and that it is at least more fun to play than late-game ACNH.
@Zverik At least they're still doing a direct this to keep the tradition going
Nice damage control. We want shows and spectacle!
by all accounts it would make sense this week and next week, normally their directs are in mid to late june and a bunch of companies already announced things
I think it's about time for a direct, but at the same time, you won't see me complaining. My backlog is huuuuuge and I'll finally have time to give it some love, and Xenoblade 3 is totally my thing, so I'm good for now. The issue for me is that I only see potential spoilers in a Xenoblade3 direct so I'm not much a fan of that. : P Would've preferred a regular direct, like most people probably.
The Summer Game Fest/State of Play, etc, announcements were laughably bad bros
Also, I'm in camp 29th direct because of that FE leak. Not 100% sure, but I'm hoping.
I was looking to put together something like this myself. I think plucky Squire, and Crisis Core remaster were the two biggest things to catch my eye, but I'm also writing down a couple interesting games from the Wholesome direct! I saw a lot of 3D platformers
Patience is certainly a virtue, but it really does feel like the entire internet is in damage control mode after today's news.

Honestly, I really hope there’s a Direct. Second half 2022 looks pretty barren this year across the board between Switch, PS5, and Xbox. 2021 looked the same, but then Switch saved the year in gaming with that fantastic E3 Direct. Sure, there’s definitely a few great titles coming, but I honestly just want there to be more to look forward to.
While I'd love a general Direct, I can't say I'm hurting for upcoming releases (though it helps that I also have a laptop & PS4, though I barely use the latter these days).
Heck, XC3 alone will probably take me 2-3 months to clear, and then there's stuff like Stray, Elec Head & the Crisis Core remake that have my eye. One Piece Odyssey too, though I'm not sure if that's this year or next.
This video was fun, but at least one of the games wasn't coming out until 2025 so it doesn't help much for now. 😆 I hope we get an actual Nintendo Direct; there aren't really any games I'm looking forward to right now besides the new Pokemon gen.
@AtlanteanMan Yup, speak for yourself is right. I read the headline and blurted out those same words. No, it’s not fine. I’m ok with Nintendo wanting to surprise its fans, just let us know when. If ever you’re given a surprise birthday party, you still know when it’s gonna happen. Even if you don’t know what’s gonna happen. Therefore, it’s still a surprise
@IronMan30 It's not like Sony's measurably better at communication though. Actually, with what Sony tends to communicate, they might actually do better not communicating at all, like Nintendo.
I’d like to see a new direct, but I don’t need one at the moment. I’ve got PLENTY to work through as is. Plus with stuff on the horizon like Three Hopes and Klonoa, there’s still quite a bit to look forward to.
@GameOtaku What games? How about FE Warriors: Three Hopes, Xenoblade Chronicles 3, Splatoon 3 and Pokemon SV
That's such a weird statement to claim that we don't know any release dates for upcoming games
@GameOtaku Nintendo has just put Bayonetta 3 next to Pokémon Scarlet e Pokémon Violet in her site, i could see Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild 2 releasing along side the Switch sucessor, too early to show something about Metroid Prime 4.
with E3 canceled, Nintendo felt they have no obligation to do a E3 Direct.
Means they have nothing more to release this year?
@Screen you dare defy the words of the Insiders™? Reliable Sources™? Heretic!
sVVitxh Pruh confirmed wow
Actually I am playing the last game on my current switch backlog (Triangle Strategy) but there is nothing launching soon that I really want to check (Still not sold on XC3), so if the Direct is not released soon with juicy announcements, then I will be getting the ps plus extra subscription next and focus on games like Ghost of Tsushima and Demon's Souls until BOTW2, Silksong or something of that magnitude is released
@Giancarlothomaz
It’s certainly not too early for Prime 4. They must have something to show as long as it’s been in development.
@mariomaster96
We’ve heard lots about these games but none about Bayonetta, Prime and Advance Wars other than Bayo 3 releases sometime this year and Advance Wars has been delayed indefinitely. Persona we need confirmation on.
@GameOtaku Retro Studios is still hiring for important roles in the game, don't be suprised if Metroid Prime 4 is a launch game for the Switch sucessor.
Nintendo could just tell everyone there won’t be a Direct any time soon. Would be a shame but at least we’d know.
Also also, does Nintendo have some vendetta against Geoff Keighley and Summer Game Fest? They don't seem to care about SGF at all.
Was there any sources regarding the whole 29th thing or was it just speculation based on previous years.
im definitely looking forward to Xenoblade 3 (with the usual concerns regarding how it will play in handheld mode) but i would definitely love to see a general one to maybe clarify some releases.
it also feels like games missing out on the switch (a good example being the persona games announced for everything but switch) had people speculating they are being saved for a direct but I'm not going to get my hopes up, in some cases it just feels more a case of switch versions being less viable.
No it's not fine.
@NEStalgia oh, I'm not complaining at all. Nintendo, for all of its faults, still provides fans with random information. Just saying that articles/videos like this are so surreal. We know, for the most part, what's coming out soon and we still want more information on new games.
@Mattock1987 Totally agree. I’d prefer if Nintendo said “we’re doing an XC3 direct but have nothing else planned this summer” than to just keep stringing us along. Although I’d obviously prefer a Direct than not - if only to give us Persona 5. Or P4G. Or both. Metroid Prime 4 still feels like a stretch. A new FE would be great, but I’ve still got a backlog of the old ones!
Eh, aside from mario kart dlc I dont think ill be playing anything on my switch until botw2 or sparks of hope, whichever comes out first. Thankfully there's more than enough on gamepass to keep me busy
I'd be fine without a Direct for the rest of the year to be honest. Three Hopes and Capcom Fighting Collection this week, Cuphead DLC at the end of the month, Live a Live and Xenoblade next month, Splatoon 3 in September, Pokemon in November etc. And that's ignoring my huge backlog on Switch.
I still think there will be one soon though, the second wave of Mario Kart 8 DLC and new batch of 64 games on NSO should be announced. As does release dates for Bayonetta 3 and Mario+Rabbids.
Wholesome Direct 2022 was really good.
I found a lot of upcoming indie games that matched with my taste due to a lot of cute looking games and Harvest Moon / Animal Crossing style games.
Even better, I have registered two indie games from Wholesome Direct 2022 that will have physical release on this year (Lemon Cake, Bunny Park).
And of course I will pick the PS5 version for the best result.
@IronMan30 Part of the problem is that so many of the games they're pushing are niche IPs that don't typically sell more than a few million (IPs like Xenoblade, Fire Emblem, and Bayonetta). They've got Splatoon 3 and Pokemon Scarlet/Violet which is good (although Splatoon 3 seems disappointingly similar to 2, but it'll probably be one of the biggest sellers for the year), but it feels like they could use one more thing that's more of a mainstream IP. So technically it's a packed year, but it's packed with games that appeal to some smaller fanbases and it's slightly lacking in bigger crowd pleasers. That's probably why you're seeing people that feel like there's nothing, because it's nothing for THEM and mostly only smaller corners of the fanbase are really interested in the games Nintendo's currently promoting.
@GameOtaku prime 4 has been canceled??
@Matty1988 I'd agree but I love resident evil so the announcement of 4 remake & the dlc for village releasing in a few months was great news for me
Implication, huh? Sorry Super Ninfriendos, but this sweaty nerd only listens to whatever is confirmed in an official capacity. I roll my eyes and keep scrolling at the mention of rumours.
@somnambulance Callisto protocol , god of war , Hogwarts legacy , Gotham knights are all supposed to be releasing in the second half of 2022 I'd hardly say that's baron (obviously they could be delayed but they haven't said that as of now) if you only own a switch then yeah there's really no big games this year but that's on the switches hardware limitations
New Fashion Style Boutique please !
@Ryuuzama No
That's fine. This year is unbelievably packed as is.
@Would_you_kindly Hogwarts and Forspoken are the only big games that pique my interest in the fall and winter, and, well… Pokemon. I’ll get my wife Splatoon too, but that’s not for me. I suppose Hogwarts, Forspoken, and Pokémon will realistically take up all my gaming time, but I’d like non-open world options and Nintendo tends to provide those. Lol.
I still want that Direct that's not just about a single game, thank you very much.
@Ryuuzama
Seems like it if we have no new info in this long time.
Hopefully we get the Persona 5 kart racing spin-off announced soon.
All in the eye of the beholder, I guess. Nintendo has been completely dry for about a year for me and everything so far slated for 2022 I'm not interested in at all.
It's very possible that Nintendo's actual would-be-E3 Direct will still happen on the 29th, I don't know why anyone would think the two can't be on the table here.
I fear once my Steam Deck arrives my beloved Switch will sit in the corner gathering dust. As much as I love Nintendo the releases of games I love from them are few and far between. This year Kirby was amazing and right up my street, but I don't like JRPGs and Pokemon, but they seem to be quite dominant on the Switch. I've been hoping for a new F-Zero or Donkey Kong for years now, but I've given up.
I’m glad everyone is excited about the upcoming titles, but not one of them is for me. I loved XBC:DE, but find the combat in XBC2 too obtuse, which makes 3 not very exciting. Loved Splatoon 2, but 3 hasn’t shown me anything to get excited about. BOTW 2 would have been enough for this year, hopefully they’ll have something else up their sleeves.
Super Mario Land Remake it will suprise me
Actually the games I want to play won't be out until 2023 so it's looking pretty boring. I would have liked Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak but not at that price, so will be waiting for a sale at some point. Nintendo in my opinion has gone down hill fast since Iwata died, there's no innovation anymore.
@somnambulance Barren?
Off the top of my head there's Stray, Saints Row, Destroy All Humans! 2, Lord of the Rings: Gollum, The Last of Us Part I, Evil West, Bayonetta 2, Gotham Knights, Forspoken, Marvel's Midnight Suns, Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2, The Callisto Protocol, A Plague Tale: Requiem, The Devil in Me, Hogwarts Legacy, Sonic Frontiers, Live a Live, Two Point Campus, God of War Ragnarok (if not delayed), Splatoon 3, Grounded, Scorn, High on Life, Pentiment, Pokemon, Crisis Core, etc, etc, etc...
@jFug For me, that’s pretty light. There’s really not much to my taste. I had already responded to another person that said the same thing, but Hogwarts, Forspoken, and Pokémon are the only big games that draw me for autumn and winter this year, and are likely the only games to get my money (and Splatoon 3 for my wife). Stray draws me for summer, of course, and I’m somewhat tempted by Xenoblade, and, yes The Devil Inside also looks great, but there’s no release date yet. I’m cautious on Sonic, but I’d like the game to succeed. And, yes, I’ll try things on Gamepass since there’s no risk since I’m not purchasing them to play them. Truthfully, I have no interest in superheroes or remakes of games I played years ago, which this year is heavy with. Realistically, I’ve got enough to play to use up my gaming time, sure, but it doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t like more games in my taste range. I’m more interested in games that have been rumored for a Nintendo Direct than most anything currently on schedule. Give me a new Donkey Kong, Fire Emblem (of the srpg variety, not the musuo variety), etc and I’d place that type of game far above Callisto Protocol or Saints Row or MW2, for sure. Different strokes for different folks though.
@Screen Being completely unfounded isn't mutually exclusive from also being a strong implication. Having a basis in fact isn't required for something to be implied. If anything, I'd argue that NOT having a basis in fact IS required to be an implication. If it were a known, irrefutable fact, it wouldn't be just an implication, strong or otherwise.
That said, I still agree with the underlying concept and think that even if there is a Nintendo Direct on the 29th that supposed leaks like this are still nonsense and not to be trusted. They're obvious fabrications 950 times out of 1000 and miscommunications or misinterpretations or old/meaningless information most of the rest of the time. Probably not even 1/1000 of these leaks that gets news coverage actually ends up having any validity.
To be honest, I'd be okay if they didn't have a standard Nintendo Direct and just pushed out some update trailers for the rest of the games coming this year. There has already been a good amount to play from Nintendo and quite a bit more on the way. Pokemon stuff will do their own presentations, Xenoblade has a Direct, Strikers just came out, Three Hopes doesn't need anything else, Splatoon 3 will surely get a ton of coverage in the near future and the rest of the fall stuff can get updated in September/October with a Direct then.
Still, they'll probably do one soonish anyway.
@Screen where do people get this information, what god damn reddit sub is this kind of conversation happening on?
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