The Switch 2 is out for a while now, and Mario, Metroid, Zelda & co have already come and gone – but it still kind of feels like we’re in the early access phase of the console, as much as one can call it that concerning a console from one of the biggest gaming companies on the planet – no Switch 2 third-party games so far. Sure, the hardware is finally in the same ballpark as the PS5 and Xbox, but right now, it’s yet again Nintendo doing all the heavy lifting while everyone else quietly just pokes at the dev kits, and nothing more.
That changed this week, though, since the rumor dam finally cracked – you know the drill. Datamines, retailer listings, and insider chatter are being blown up in the Discords and Reddits of the world, and they all point to one thing: a crucial wave of Switch 2 third-party games is lining up behind the usual Nintendo suspects.
So, what is it we actually have here? There’s Monster Hunter, some Star Wars, High on Life, for example – on paper, it looks like the start of a proper gaming ecosystem, if you ask us. The question is whether that wave actually arrives fast enough to make the Switch 2 feel like more than the console you play Mario or Zelda on, let’s be honest here.
Monster Hunter Wilds Switch 2 Leak – This Will Stress Nintendo’s Newest Hardware
For Nintendo fans, one of the juiciest names in that pile of expectations is undoubtedly Monster Hunter Wilds. Capcom hasn’t outright confirmed a Switch 2 third-party version, but the nifty dataminers digging through Title Update 4 found some references to Nintendo’s next-gen hardware buried in the files, and naturally multiple outlets have now gone and said “Monster Hunter Wilds is coming to Switch 2.” Nothing official yet, but you know…
Truth be told, if that leak does pan out, it’s a big deal for a couple of reasons, we think. First, Monster Hunter basically carried the 3DS and did serious work on the original Switch; having Wilds show up early on Switch 2 says Capcom believes this hardware can keep up. Second, Wilds is shaping up to be seriously CPU-hungry on current consoles, and even fans on leak subreddits are openly doubting whether a portable version can happen without heavy cuts.
Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order And Survivor Switch 2 Ports
For us, the second big rumor is all about blaster-fire and lightsabers: We’re talking, of course, about Respawn’s fantastic Star Wars Jedi games. A few reports and even some forum translations say Disney wants all Star Wars titles on Switch 2, meaning that Fallen Order and Survivor are already in progress for Switch 2.
Again, we hate to disappoint, but nothing official from EA or Nintendo yet, but for us, the logic kinda does what logic does – making sense. The base Switch didn’t get a Survivor port, and even Fallen Order only ever got as far as the current-gen consoles and the PC. If Switch 2 Third-Party games are finally able to flood the gates of holy Nintendo, getting both Jedi games on there might not be just a fever-dream anymore.
Switch 2 Needs Third-Party Games As Much As Mario, Zelda And Metroid
The Switch 2 sadly feels like a very familiar story, a Nintendo story, no less. Since the days of the Wii, we’ve been missing third-party games, as we got on the Nintendo GameCube, if we’re being honest. Nintendo just doesn’t seem to learn; it shows up with Mario Kart, Metroid, and Zelda in its goodie bag, and every other developer cautiously circles around the platform for one reason or another – that warrants a whole article in itself, come to think of it.
But here’s to hope, because if Monster Hunter Wilds really does land on its feet and more Star Wars games are making their way on Nintendo’s newest hardware, Switch 2 third-party games might finally have their way paved for themselves, meaning that more – and maybe even smaller devs – get the hint and start developing Switch 2 third-party titles.
As much as we love Nintendo’s own catalogue, we can’t imagine a lot of players bought a shiny new console just to keep playing endless variations of Mario, Zelda, and Metroid in a loop. A healthy platform needs big and weird RPGs, licensed sci-fi titles, low to mid-budget oddities, and a constant stream of “oh, that’s on here too?” announcements – Steam, anyone?
This is good news, fellow readers. The Switch 2 Third-Party leaks look like a proper wave rather than just some isolated incidents. The bad news (you knew there were some) is we’re still very much in rumor territory for most of it. Until Capcom, EA, and the rest actually step on stage and put logos under a Switch 2 banner, this generation is going to keep feeling like it hasn’t really started yet.
So – Nintendo has done its part, it seems. The ball’s in third-party hands now, at least we hope so.
