Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase Announced: Predictions Point to Major Third-Party Reveals

Nintendo has announced that a new Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase presentation will air on February 5. The presentation will include about 30 minutes of new Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch games from third-party developers and publishers. Nintendo made the announcement on its social media pages, which instantly led gamers to start guessing which franchises and studios would be on the show.

Usually, Partner Showcases are about working together with big companies that aren't Nintendo's own studios. When the Nintendo Switch 2 comes out, people have higher hopes than usual because it has more powerful hardware that makes it possible for ports and new games that didn't seem likely to come out on Nintendo systems before.

People who follow the industry think that Ubisoft might release a Mario + Rabbids double-pack set.

Which could include older games in the tactical crossover series. Reports from earlier years said Ubisoft wanted to return to the series after Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope didn't do well at the box office, potentially delaying the release until newer hardware is available.

Bandai Namco is another publisher that is often linked to Nintendo partner events. There are rumors that the company could show off both Tekken for Switch 2 and the Digimon Story: Time Stranger. Both would add to the console's RPG and fighting game library.

It's also likely that Capcom will keep working closely with Nintendo devices. Fans are asking if there will be more games in the series, like remakes of Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 3, or Resident Evil 4. Resident Evil 7, Resident Evil 8, and Resident Evil 9 are all set to come out in February. Capcom has used Nintendo Direct events in the past to show off both new games and old ports.

Square Enix, Monster Hunter, and Final Fantasy could take the lead.

Capcom's most popular action series is another big option. There may be news about a new Monster Hunter game or a Switch 2 version of Monster Hunter World. This is especially likely now that rumors say developers have been testing performance changes to make the game work on Nintendo's new hardware.

A lot of reports think that Square Enix will also be there. The publisher has been very supportive of Nintendo systems. Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade is said to be doing well, and Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is the best-selling digital game on the Switch 2's eShop. People are thinking that Final Fantasy VII Rebirth might be announced for the system during the showcase because of this progress.

Some fans want to see Dragon Quest XII, but experts think that would be more likely to happen during a bigger, core Nintendo Direct show than during a partner-focused show.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is another rumored game that might work well on Switch 2. It's a turn-based RPG that's been praised for combining traditional Japanese RPG mechanics with current Western design styles. Several Game of the Year awards were given to the game, and a portable version that uses Nintendo's hardware features could be helpful.

Atlus may also show up during the show, following a long history of showing up at Nintendo events. Metaphor: ReFantazio, a Shin Megami Tensei remake, or updates for the Persona series are all things that could be announced. Atlus has shown off big projects like Shin Megami Tensei V at events like these before, so it's possible that the company will be there.

Kingdom Hearts, Halo, or Castlevania could be among the surprises.

Square Enix could also finally give fans what they want by bringing Kingdom Hearts collections to Switch 2 as local ports instead of the cloud-based versions that players didn't like. Because the new system's hardware is better, it would be much easier to add these kinds of ports.

One of the biggest secrets about the showcase is that there may be a "one more thing" reveal, which could be a big cross-platform game. There are rumors that the surprise could include games like Halo, Marvel's Spider-Man, or Horizon that aren't usually connected to Nintendo hardware. However, these rumors haven't been proven yet.

It's also possible that FromSoftware will show up.

The studio's rumored The Dusk Bloods project—which is said to be published by Nintendo but created by someone else—might get new footage or a release date. Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition could be brought back with new details, though.

Orbitals, which has already been seen in reports and is said to be set for a mid-year release, is another game that is likely to show up. More game companies, like Konami, might join the event and show off a new Castlevania project, Metal Gear Solid Delta, or more games in the Metal Gear Solid series.

Nintendo has made it clear that the presentation will include games for both the Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo Switch 2. This suggests that there will be a mix of big news and smaller projects. Partner Showcases usually focus on third-party releases instead of big first-party releases, but since we'll be getting new hardware, this presentation might be more important than normal.

The upcoming broadcast should give us a better idea of how third-party developers plan to support Nintendo's next version of hardware, even if not all the rumored games show up. With more publishers interested in the Switch 2 and better system features, Nintendo fans may be able to enjoy a wider range of games than ever before.