Following weeks of rumors and speculation, Nintendo has finally confirmed the existence of the July 2025 Nintendo Direct, along with the disappointing news that it will be a Partner Showcase. Reliable insiders and leakers have insisted that Nintendo was going to host a Nintendo Direct event before July 2025 was up, and the company’s latest announcement has proven them right.
Many fans assumed that a Nintendo Direct would happen sooner rather than later. After all, Nintendo did not host its usual June 2025 Direct because the timing coincided with the launch of the Switch 2 console itself, and so one could say that we have been overdue for a Direct. Now we know a Nintendo Direct is indeed happening, but it is a Partner Showcase as opposed to a proper Direct featuring first-party Nintendo games.
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Nintendo announced that the Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase will take place on July 31 at 6am PT. The event will feature “roughly 25 minutes” of details on games on the way for the original Switch and the Switch 2 “from our publishing partners.” What this means is that while there may be some exciting third-party announcements for the Switch and Switch 2 at the July 2025 Nintendo Direct, fans shouldn’t tune in expecting updates on games like Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, which is still without a solid release date.
When is the July 2025 Nintendo Direct?
- Thursday, July 31 at 6am PT
While some Nintendo fans will still be excited about the Partner Showcase, there will no doubt be those disappointed that we aren’t getting an actual Nintendo Direct to close out the month. Once Drag x Drive releases on August 14, the stream of Switch 2 exclusives will have dried up. We know that Kirby Air Riders and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment are both expected to launch before the year is out, but we don’t have release dates for either game.
Splatoon Raiders is another Switch 2 exclusive that is expected to release by the end of the year, but it doesn’t have a release date either. A recent Splatoon Raiders leak led some fans to believe that the game would be one of the titles hosted at the July 2025 Nintendo Direct, but since the event is a Partner Showcase, it’s highly unlikely that Splatoon Raiders will make an appearance at the event.
On the bright side, chances are Nintendo will host another Nintendo Direct in September or thereabouts. It will need to fill up its calendar of releases for the fall, and so far, only Pokemon Legends: Z-A has a solid release date. Nintendo’s other planned 2025 games, like Kirby Air Riders, Splatoon Raiders, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond are all missing release dates at the time of this writing. Nintendo will also want to start giving fans an idea of what to expect from the Switch 2 in 2026, especially if it wants to keep the new console’s sales momentum going strong.
