We all knewa Nintendo Direct was coming this month; the companysaid as much in May. The real question is what will actually be shown. Nintendo’s release schedule for the rest of 2024 and beyond is barren (with the exception ofLuigi’s Mansion 2 HDandNintendo World Championships: NES Edition), and the company itself has offered no hints as to what can be expected, leaving all of us free rein to predict what could be announced.
Below, we’ve collated every potential announcement we think could be made during the June Nintendo Direct, including some of the more popular rumors that have been making the rounds. Although we can most definitely rule out anything to do with the Nintendo Switch 2 (or whatever Nintendo’s next console is) being shared since Nintendo’s announcement for the Direct emphatically ruled it out, there are still plenty of games that could make an appearance.
Every rumored or theorized game that could appear in Nintendo’s June 2024 Direct
Metroid Prime
Metroid Prime 4still remains an enigma among Nintendo’s line-up of upcoming titles. Zero information on the game has been shared since that 2017 reveal, barring confirmation thatdevelopment had started from scratch at Retro Studios. And that was five years ago. It wouldn’t be surprising if Nintendo’s opted to hold it back for the Switch 2 but, if not, maybe Nintendo will finally have something to share at this Direct.
Even ifMetroid Prime 4is MIA again, there have been claims in the past ofMetroid Prime 2and3seeing remasters, especially in the wake ofthe first game’s remasterfrom February 2023. Although Giant Bomb’s Jeff Grubb has claimed thePrime 2and3remasters won’t be as much as an overhaul compared to the first one (viaMetro). Still, it’d make a lot of sense for Nintendo to at least make the wholePrimetrilogy available in the run-up toMetroid Prime 4.
Legend of Zelda
After the Switch release ofThe Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, it was widely claimed/assumed thatTwilight PrincessandThe Wind Waker(both of which saw Wii U ports) would follow suit. Those rumors were especially populartowards the end of 2022, but nothing ever came of them. Still, these rumors haven’t completely gone away, with some speculating that Nintendo is simply waiting for a good time to release them. With how empty the rest of its 2024 is, this year may see at least one of them come out. At the very least, you shouldn’t expect anyTears of the KingdomDLC since producer Eiji Aonuma ruled it out last year (viaIGN).
Fire Emblem
Another longstanding and popular rumor has been for a remake ofFire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War, the fourth mainline entry in the series. To date, it was only ever released in Japan, but considering how much more popular the series has become since then, it’d make a lot of sense for Nintendo to at least re-release it. Especially since it’s considered one of the bestFire Emblemgames ever made and introduced a lot of longstanding elements to the series. Plus, the first threeFire Emblemgames have all seen remakes (though only the first two ever came to the West), so it only seems natural forGenealogy of the Holy Warto follow suit.
Donkey Kong
Between Donkey Kong’s presence inThe Super Mario Bros. Movieand Nintendo’s theme park getting a whole Donkey Kong themed area, it does feel like Nintendo’s looking to push its gorilla mascot in a big way. TheMario vs. Donkey Kongremakewas a quaint throwback, but DK serves as the antagonist, meaning we’re overdue a new adventure where he’s the star. This year also marks the 30th anniversary of theDonkey Kong Countryseries and while Nintendo skipped out on celebrating the character’s 40th birthday in 2021, a new game reveal for this year would make for a great anniversary present.
Xenosaga
This one might be the most esoteric pick on the list, but I and plenty others genuinely feel like developer Monolith Soft, the studio behindXenoblade Chronicles, could bring itsXenosagagames to the Switch. The reasoning for this would take a separate article to fully explain, but the short version is thatXenoblade Chronicles 3‘s story DLC,Future Redeemed, contained direct references to the plot of theXenosagaseries, with its ending basically confirming ties betweenXenobladeandXenosaga.
Admittedly,Xenosagais a Bandai Namco IP, so it’s not like Monolith Soft took it when it was acquired by Nintendo. However, Nintendo and Bandai Namco have a strong working relationship, with the latter aiding development onSuper Smash Bros. Ultimateand making a couple ofPokémonspin-offs. Plus, all three worked together on theBaten Kaitosremasters from 2023, and Monolith likely couldn’t have had directXenosagareferences inFuture Redeemedwithout Bandai Namco’s involvement. Not to mentionXenosagaprotagonist KOS-MOS already made a cameo inXenoblade Chronicles 2. It really feels like the stars are aligning forXenosagato make a return, though whether it’s at this Direct or a future one is another question entirely. Otherwise, Wii U fans are holding out hope thatXenoblade Chronicles Xmight finally make a leap to Switch.
Lego Horizon Adventures
Lego Horizon Adventuresmay be a spin-off, but Sony puttingHorizon, one of its main IPs, on Nintendo hardware is still a big deal and was one of the standout surprises from Summer Game Fest. Given this unexpected partnership, we could see more of the game at the June Direct, if not at least a reminder that it’s happening. Then again, considering Sony withheldLego Horizon Adventuresfrom its own State of Play showcase, Nintendo may omit as well just so it can avoid promoting a rival company’s IP.
Another Wii U port
There are still a handful of Wii U games that remain locked to Nintendo’s abandoned hardware that fans would love to see find new life on Switch. As mentioned before, some wantXenoblade Chronicles Xto get a Switch port, but a trademark from earlier this year points to another possibility. As spotted byVooksback in May, Nintendo filed a new trademark forKirby and the Rainbow Paintbrush, orKirby and the Rainbow Curseas it’s called in the U.S., sparking assumptions that it will see a Switch release very soon. There was also a new trademark for 3DS puzzle gameFullblox, also known asStretchmoin the U.S., which would be a random but not unwelcome IP for Nintendo to revisit after so many years.
Sonic X Shadow Generations
Moving onto third-party announcements, a trailer for the nextSonic the Hedgehoggame feels like a safe bet, especially with itlaunching in October. Despite it coming to Switch, there’s been little to no focus on that version ofSonic X Shadow Generations, so it’d be nice to see how it runs on Nintendo’s hardware. Ideally, we’d even get to see details not shown in Sega’s Summer Game Fest preview, like its new open world area or maybe another new level for the Shadow portion.
Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D
The HD-2D remake ofDragon Quest 3fell off the map after its 2021 reveal, but Square Enix finally acknowledged it was still in the works withthis Twitter postthis past May. It didn’t really confirm anything aside from it being multiplatform, but the accompanying message, “The legend of Erdrick draws near,” got people thinking the reason it’s taken so long is because it’s now a remake of the first threeDragon Questgames, which are regarded as the Erdrick Saga Trilogy. Considering Square Enix’s previous HD-2D games, likeOctopath TravelerandTriangle Strategy, debuted on Nintendo hardware, it’s not unreasonable to believe theDragon Quest 3remake could make its return in a Nintendo Direct.
Beyond Good & Evil
While nobody expectsBeyond Good & Evil 2to come out any time soon (if at all), a remaster of the first game made to celebrate its 20th anniversary should be on its way, especially since the anniversary was last year. Ubisoft had promised it would share details on it in early 2024 and yet it’s said nothing sincethe 2023 reveal, with the remaster alsobizarrely absent at Ubisoft’s latest showcase. Recently, however, trophies for the PlayStation 5 version popped up on tracking siteExophase, suggesting a release is imminent. With the Nintendo Direct the only major summer showcase left,Beyond Good & Evilwill hopefully make an appearance there.
Ace Attorney
Capcom spent Summer Game Fest hyping upMonster Hunter WildsandKunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, but a very recent rumour points to somethingAce Attorneyrelated being shown at the Nintendo Direct. The series started out on Nintendo platforms so it’d be fitting for a new game to be announced during the Direct, although a comment byTwitter user Pyoro(a common and reliable source of Nintendo leaks) has some fans thinking it’ll be a collection of the twoAce Attorney Investigationsspin-offs. While I’d personally prefer anAce Attorney 7, anInvestigationscollection would be a big deal. Not only are both games not available on modern hardware like the rest of the series, but the second game never launched outside of Japan.
Darkest Dungeon 2
Since the originalDarkest Dungeoneventually made its way to consoles after its PC launch, it was always safe to assume its sequel would follow suit. PlayStation versions ofDarkest Dungeon 2were eventually announced in April but, just a month earlier,Gematsureported thatDarkest Dungeon 2had been rated in Brazil for PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. So, a Switch port could get a brief acknowledgement in the Nintendo Direct in-between the bigger reveals.
Silksong
Honestly, this is here out of obligation.Silksongfans can’t help but hope this long-awaited sequel to 2017’sHollow Knightwill make an appearance with every gaming related showcase, and are forced to put on clown make-up when it doesn’t show. Developer Team Cherry didpreviously aim for a 2023 launch, but wound up delaying it, and the last ‘real’ update was whena listing for it appeared on the Xbox storethis past April. This could be a sign of Team Cherry gearing up for a release, but there’s otherwise nothing to suggestSilksongwill appear at this Nintendo Direct. By that same metric, there’s nothing to suggest itwon’tappear, but we’ll be keeping the clown wig and face-paint on stand-by regardless.
