Nintendo could reveal some of its plans as early as this week, according to gaming industry insiders who claimed the Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase could air as early as Thursday, February 5. The rumors come amid a busy start to 2026 for Nintendo, as the company turns its attention to building its repertoire of games coming to Switch 2.
During the last week of January, Nintendo hosted two live streams dedicated to specific projects, starting with a video on January 25 of Super Mario Galaxy Movie. On January 25th, the Direct gave Mario fans their first look at Yoshi's appearance in the upcoming film. A few days later, on January 29th, a 22-minute Nintendo Direct about the upcoming Switch title Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream he went live. Fans looking to let their Mii avatars take center stage in this quirky social simulator won't have to wait much longer, as Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream will hit store shelves on Thursday, April 16.
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A Nintendo Direct All About Third-Party Games Could Be Coming Soon
While rumors about Nintendo's upcoming plans for this year should be taken with a grain of salt, several industry insiders say the gaming giant could be sharing some news this week. According to X's answer from gaming industry insider NateTheHate, the launch of Nintendo Direct partners may take place on February 5th. While a past Nintendo Direct rumor claimed something could be airing on February 10th, the new date and format of Nintendo's rumored broadcast have been confirmed by VGC and GameXplain. The last Partner Showcase took place on July 31, 2025, where fans got to see some Switch 2 trailers such as Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment and Octopath Traveler 0 throughout the 27-minute broadcast. This was followed by an hour-long, generic Nintendo Direct on September 12, 2025.
Compared to the generalized Nintendo Direct, the Partner Showcase focuses exclusively on third-party titles that are in development or coming soon to the Switch and Switch 2 consoles. Some of the known third-party titles that could appear during a potential Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase include Resident Evil Requiem, 007 First Lightand FromSoftware's exclusive Switch 2 project Duskbloods. More news on the Switch 2 port Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is also a possibility, given that the Switch 2 launch Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade she was successful. However, information on what Nintendo and other third-party studios might showcase during a potential Partner Showcase remains elusive as of this writing, so fans will have to wait for more information.
Nintendo already has a busy February ahead of it
While the Partner Showcase would give Nintendo fans plenty to talk about, the company already has a packed February of events for gamers to take note of. On February 27, Pokemon the franchise will celebrate its 30th anniversary during the annual Pokemon Day celebrations. Pokemon Presents has traditionally been broadcast Pokemon Day. Although not officially confirmed by The Pokemon Company, Pokemon Presents airing on February 27th is almost certain. As for what might be shown on Pokemon Day, previous rumors have claimed to see Pokemon10th generation of the main series, dubbed Pokemon wind and waves from the leakers, could be the highlight of the show.
Along with Pokemon Day, Nintendo fans who want to experience the company's best-selling consoles will soon have a chance. Virtual Boy: Nintendo Classics will launch on Tuesday, February 17 for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscribers. The app comes with seven games at launch, incl 3D Tetris and Virtual Boy Wario Land. Plus two unreleased Virtual Boy games, D-Hoppra Zero racersthey will come to the app in later updates. However, Virtual Boy: Nintendo Classics also requires the purchase of a Virtual Boy accessory kit that connects to a Switch or Switch 2 console.
