According to Polygon, Nintendo’s 2026 is shaping up to mirror the Switch’s second year in 2018, starting with titles like Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, Mario Tennis Fever, and Pokémon Pokopia. The only confirmed major “system seller” so far is Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave, which is positioned similarly to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s late-2018 release. However, key franchises like Pokémon and Mario are rumored or predicted to have new entries, with the next mainline Pokémon RPG potentially arriving based on a 2025 leak and the series’ consistent three-to-four-year release cycle. A new Mario game is also considered overdue, following the two-year pattern established since 2013, and could capitalize on the Super Mario Galaxy Movie’s hype. Third-party support will also be crucial, with confirmed titles like FromSoftware’s exclusive multiplayer game The Duskbloods and potential wildcards from Ubisoft and PlatinumGames.
Nintendo’s Predictable Patterns
Here’s the thing about Nintendo: for all their occasional surprises, they run on a remarkably predictable internal clock. The article points this out, and it’s true. We get a mainline Pokémon game every three to four years like clockwork. Fire Emblem has been steady since 2012. And Mario? Look at the pattern: a major title every two years since 2013. By that logic, 2026 isn’t just a maybe—it’s practically an appointment. This isn’t guesswork; it’s reading the metronome they’ve been ticking to for over a decade. So when Polygon says we’re “overdue” for a Mario game, they’re not hoping. They’re doing basic math. And that math points to a very busy development schedule coming to a head next year.
switch-2-momentum”>The Stakes For Switch 2 Momentum
2025 was the honeymoon period, full of weird and wonderful experiments like Kirby Air Riders. 2026 is where the real work begins. This is the year Nintendo needs to prove the Switch 2 isn’t just a novelty upgrade but a platform with a deep, sustainable future. You can’t do that with just Yoshi and Mario Tennis. You need the heavy hitters. Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave is a great start, especially tied to the popular Three Houses world. But is it enough on its own? Probably not. That’s why the rumored Pokémon games and the logical Mario sequel are so critical. They’re the one-two punch that can transform the console’s narrative from “interesting new device” to “essential gaming platform.” Miss this window, and you risk losing that crucial early-adopter momentum.
The Wildcards That Could Seal The Deal
Beyond the big three franchises, the real excitement—and the potential for a truly legendary year—lies in the wildcards. A sequel to the massively successful Ring Fit Adventure feels like a no-brainer, right? It’s the perfect kind of system-seller that leverages the new hardware in a unique way. And what about Luigi’s Mansion 4? Next Level Games is suspiciously quiet, and their three-year dev cycle lines up perfectly. Now, toss in the third-party factor. FromSoftware’s exclusive, The Duskbloods, is a huge get. But can you imagine if PlatinumGames finally greenlit Astral Chain 2? Or if Ubisoft brought something truly unique to the table? A guy can dream. But if even one of these wildcards lands alongside the expected heavy hitters, 2026 stops being a “good year” and starts looking like a historic one for Nintendo.
