Nintendo May Advance Switch 2 Reveal In Response To Leaks, Claims Insider

Recent leaks could push up the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal if a new insider report is to be believed. 

As the original Nintendo Switch becomes the highest-selling home console in the U.S. of all time (140.6 million units worldwide as of September 2024), fans' eyes are continually being drawn to the impending announcement of its new successor.

At one point, the Nintendo Switch 2 was thought to be announced in 2024, but it became less and less likely as the year rolled on. It is now expected to get its first reveal in early 2025, but when exactly remains unclear. 

Nintendo Switch 2 Announcement Might Come Sooner Than Expected

As leaks of the Nintendo Switch 2 begin to make their way online, one insider is claiming that the new flood of alleged information may force Nintendo to move up the console's official reveal.

Noted Nintendo insider Samus Hunter shared on X (formerly Twitter) that "Nintendo may advance the next-generation Switch reveal," because of the recent leaks, possibly pushing it up to "before DK:"

"Nintendo may advance the next-generation Switch reveal with an announcement that possibly could come before 'DK.' This is to address recent leaks especially of accessories to ensure official news for the public. The remaining announcements of Switch games may come a little later."

The DK Samus Hunter is referring to is the upcoming HD remaster of the Nintendo Wii Donkey Kong platformer, Donkey Kong Country Returns, due out on Thursday, January 16, 2025. 

GamesIndustry.biz's Chris Dring corroborated this report, telling fans on The GamesIndustry.biz Microcast, "I'm told, [the reveal] may even be right when the new year starts

Since early December, alleged images of the unannounced console have been appearing online, as various accessory manufacturers begin uploading product listings for their various offerings set to debut alongside the new gaming machine.

This is in line with other insider reports, saying the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal will arrive sometime in mid-January; however, when exactly may have been pushed up to avoid more of the widespread leaks the console is seeing now. 

Some expected this reveal to come as a part of a larger Nintendo Direct stream, but these leaks happening as fervently as they are could force Nintendo's hand to reveal the console on its own (with a launch title or two), before doing a separate stream for its upcoming software offerings at another time in early 2025.

When Will Nintendo Switch 2 Be Released?

Long have fans speculated about the exact release window for the Nintendo Switch 2. 

The unannounced hybrid console was long thought to be announced by the end of 2024, before getting a deep-dive in early 2025, and then being released sometime around March. 

With no Fall 2024 reveal having come to pass, that has thrown a wrench in fan predictions about the console's potential roll-out. 

According to reporting from August 2024, manufacturing on the console has been well underway for months, meaning an imminent release feels inevitable (read more about the Nintendo Switch release leaks here). 

This comes following comments from Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa, who told investors in May 2024 that the new console would be announced "within this fiscal year" (running April 1, 2024 - March 31, 2025): 

"This is Furukawa, President of Nintendo. We will make an announcement about the successor to Nintendo Switch within this fiscal year. It will have been over nine years since we announced the existence of Nintendo Switch back in March 2015. We will be holding a Nintendo Direct this June regarding the Nintendo Switch software lineup for the latter half of 2024, but please be aware that there will be no mention of the Nintendo Switch successor during that presentation."

That still seems to be the case, with every sign still indicating the Nintendo Switch 2 will arrive before the end of Q1 2025. It just may simply be skipping the fall marketing beat seen with the first Switch announcement, opting to announce and release in a short period in the new year. 

Fans should also expect a stacked launch lineup for the new console, potentially including hit titles like Pokemon Legends: Z-A and the hotly anticipated next game in the Mario Kart franchise (read more about Mario Kart 9 rumors here).

The Nintendo Switch 2 is still unannounced.