Why are (almost) no third parties announcing new Switch 2 games?

Since the full reveal of the Nintendo Switch 2 and its game line-up during the Nintendo Direct presentation in early April, there have only been two all-new Nintendo Switch 2 games announced by third parties. One was revealed this week—Dear me, I was… from Arc System Works—and technically the other was AFL 26, which got a passing mention from its developer Big Ant as coming to the Switch 2.

Update: It’s also been pointed out to us that Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles was also announced for Switch 2. So um, three games since then.

Wait, haven’t we seen trailers and announcements for new Nintendo Switch 2 games since then? One’s out this week with Tamagotchi Plaza. No Man’s Sky was also announced just days before the Nintendo Switch 2 launch.

Then there have been presentations with Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, Virtua Fighter 5, James Bond: First Light(revealed as Project 007 in the Direct), Ys X: Nordics and the Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake—all of which have confirmed Switch 2 versions. So what gives? All of these are games that were previously released, or had already been announced by their publishers.

Aside from Dear me, I was…, there have been no original, brand new games, ports, remakes or anything announced for the Nintendo Switch 2 that hadn’t already been revealed before the console’s debut.

We went through so many presentations during Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest, including his own show and multiple independent streams—we even hoped something might at Xbox’s stream—and still, nothing. Games that are clearly destined for the Nintendo Switch 2, like Persona 5: The Phantom X, are all missing in action. It’s like the system doesn’t exist. So what’s going on?

Nintendo has announced just one game themselves since the reveal: Splatoon Raiders, it does not have a release date yet.

There are really only two possibilities here. Either Nintendo isn’t allowing third parties to announce games for the system at all—or, well, there is nothing to announce? And the longer we go without another Nintendo Direct, the more likely that first explanation becomes.

The upside for Nintendo is that it gets to control the narrative about the Switch 2 more tightly. If no one else can announce a game, then Nintendo gets to do it in their own way, in their own time. But if that’s the plan—when’s it happening? Wait too long, and the next Direct just becomes a round-up of previously announced games with an added “and it’s coming to Switch 2 now.”

Outside the Nintendo fan sphere, the downside is clear: this makes the console look unsupported. It’s also been documented that not all indie developers or third parties have received Switch 2 development kits.  So if it’s Nintendo not allowing third parties and Indies to confirm their games for Switch 2 (or indeed actually bring them at all), then just no one is making games for this console? 

Clearly that’s not the case—but the system is out now. You don’t need to hide it anymore.