Right now most of the attention is on the remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, but Nintendo has already made clear what comes next on Switch 2. The company has confirmed that Metroid Ravenous is the next major first-party release for the console, and it arrives exclusively on Switch 2 on January 27.
A direct sequel to Metroid Dread
Metroid Ravenous is a stylish 2D Metroid and a direct continuation of Metroid Dread. That also means almost anything you read about its premise risks spoiling Dread’s ending, so if you never finished that game, now is the right moment to go back to it before January. If you want to keep track of everything around the series, we collect it all on our Metroid news page. The game already has its own listing on Nintendo’s store.
What Switch 2 owners get before then
Nintendo has kept up an almost monthly cadence of Switch 2 exclusives through 2026. The year opened with Mario Tennis Fever and Pokemon Pokopia, followed more recently by Splatoon Raiders and Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave. Later in October comes Nintendo Switch Sports Resort, and at the start of November the Ocarina of Time remake hits shelves as the headline system seller of the year.
Even after that, the gap before Metroid Ravenous isn’t empty. FromSoftware’s The Duskbloods is still scheduled for release before the end of the year, and a second Pokemon Pokopia DLC is also in the pipeline, though it has no announced release window yet.
The 2027 lineup so far
Four more Nintendo-published Switch 2 games are already confirmed for 2027:
- Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity – Definitive Edition on February 25
- Kirby and the World Beyond, an open world Kirby game, in spring 2027
- Pokemon Winds and Waves, expected later in the year
- Xenoblade Genesis, with no window announced yet
A new 3D Super Mario is widely expected on Switch 2 in 2027 as well. Nintendo is taking longer than ever to deliver a 3D Mario for a new console, so that timing is plausible, but nothing has been officially announced and it’s worth keeping your expectations measured.
What this means for you
If you own a Switch 2, your calendar is effectively filled from now through winter: Switch Sports Resort in October, Ocarina of Time in November, The Duskbloods before the end of the year, and then Metroid Ravenous on January 27 as the first big exclusive of 2027. The practical takeaway is simple – if Dread is still sitting unfinished in your library, you have a few months to fix that.
FAQ
On January 27, exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2.
It’s strongly recommended. Ravenous is a direct sequel to Dread, and its setup spoils how that game ends.
It’s a 2D Metroid, continuing the style of Metroid Dread.
Nintendo Switch Sports Resort later in October, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time at the start of November, plus FromSoftware’s The Duskbloods and a second Pokemon Pokopia DLC.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity – Definitive Edition on February 25, Kirby and the World Beyond in spring, plus Pokemon Winds and Waves and Xenoblade Genesis without firm dates.