Nintendo Direct officially announced and it's happening sooner than you think

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Joshua grew up in poverty, deep in the middle of nowhere in Alabama. Acting was a rarely offered escape from reality that persisted throughout his life, something that saw him through good times and bad times. Joshua started at Game Rant in 2017, where he fell in love with a company that supports creativity, treats video games with the respect they deserve, and is complete with people whose passions match his own. It's a passion he hopes to communicate in every post, every conversation about the industry, and so on. Outside of gaming and Game Rant, Joshua spends a lot of time with his lovely wife and children, constantly rooting for Cody Rhodes in the WWE, and managing the farm he inherited from his grandfather. If you name a video game, Joshua can rant about it – that's a guarantee. For Joshua, the gaming world is not just an industry, but his first love.

AND Nintendo Direct was officially announced for January 2026. Many expected The Big N to host soon, with some Nintendo Direct theories pointing to February 2026, which is usually the first of the year (besides the Pokémon Direct). However, this is usually the case.

February 27 is the 30th anniversary Pokemon franchise. In the past, there have been two Nintendo Directs in February – one focused on more general games, the other focused on Pokemon upcoming games. This may still be the case as the January 2026 Nintendo Direct is special. It's not a third-party Nintendo Direct game, but it's not a first-party game either. In fact, there won't even be any games at this Nintendo Direct.

Super Mario Galaxy Movie Nintendo Direct

The Nintendo Direct will take place on Sunday, January 25th at 6:00am PT / 9:00am ET. It will feature an exclusive look at the upcoming Super Mario Galaxy Moviewith a new image posted alongside this announcement. Seen below, this image gives fans their first official look at Fire Mario and Fire Luigi. IN Super Mario Galaxy Moviethe brothers (Mario and Luigi) join Prince Peach and Toad on a journey into space to face Bowser Jr. It is currently scheduled to be released on April 3rd.

Given its upcoming release, as well as its importance to Nintendo, Illumination and Universal Pictures, it's no surprise that it's getting a full Direct – instead of just being part of one. This movie is set in April 2023 Super Mario Bros. Moviefor which “well-received” doesn't seem like a strong enough description. Its box office success directly contributed to this new Mario movie, which was announced in March 2024. Directors Aaron Hovarth and Michael Jelenic, as well as screenwriter Matthew Fogel, are all returning.