Aside from the newest Animal Crossing hitting shelves in March and a remaster of Xenoblade Chronicles coming at an unspecified date, Nintendo’s plans for 2020 are somewhat scarce. While there’s no denying the company has some big games in the pipeline, it has decided to keep its cards close to its chest in regard to when fans can play them. Of course, now that it’s 2020, Switch owners want to know what they can look forward to getting their hands on as the year progresses.
Despite Nintendo releasing a Pokemon focused Direct and recently announcing a livestream to reveal the fifth and final Super Smash Bros Ultimate DLC fighter, it goes without saying that neither really pad out the company's lineup for 2020 as a whole. It seems reasonable to assume that Nintendo will be looking to drop a major new Direct in the coming months to alleviate this exact problem, allowing the company to highlight what's next for the Switch as it goes head to head with the upcoming wave of next-generation hardware that looks to dominate this year. With that in mind, it's worth speculating what this future Direct might have in store for fans. After all, there are so many blank spaces on Nintendo's calendar that the company's next Direct will surely have to bring a whole host of massive surprises.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Whenever Nintendo's next Direct does air, it’s only natural to assume viewers will be learning a lot more about Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The game is the only major release currently slated on the Switch’s schedule this year, and despite it releasing in only a few months' time, there’s still very little information on the sweeping changes the newest iteration of the iconic franchise will include. Much like the company does whenever a big new title is a few months off, it would be wise to expect a healthy helping of New Horizons in a future Direct, showing how the gameplay has changed, what players can expect to do in the title, and, of course, displaying tons of cute animals that fans can expect to interact with.
It would also go without saying that Nintendo will probably also want to show off how multiplayer works in the game, as well as highlighting Amiibo support, and perhaps how the title links to Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp. While the game’s director did confirm that the app would be a separate entity to New Horizons, he did hint that there will be collaborative items, which could be explained in more detail during the broadcast. The odds are that – much like how Pokemon: Sword and Shield did in the Direct prior to their release – Animal Crossing will dominate Nintendo’s newest showcase, taking up a good amount of the runtime and giving players a much-needed deep dive into the game.
Smash Ultimate, Xenoblade Chronicles, and No More Heroes 3
Alongside Animal Crossing, it seems likely that viewers will get the release date for the upcoming Xenoblade Chronicles remaster. The Wii-port is one of the only big titles that Nintendo has outwardly announced for the year, so the likelihood is it will make an appearance as the company highlights its plans going forward. When this will be is anyone’s guess, but it seems likely that the game will come in the first half of 2020, filling a gap where Nintendo doesn’t have a whole lot going on. There's also No More Heroes 3, which received a cryptic second trailer at The Game Awards. Seen as the long-awaited sequel is also touted to release in 2020, Nintendo might show off a bit more of the game and let fans know when they can expect to see it on shelves.
There’s also the matter of the second wave of Super Smash Bros Ultimate DLC characters, which fans will no doubt be waiting for after the January 16 Livestream detailing the mysterious final member of the first fighter's pass. Now fans know when the highly-anticipated fifth fighter will be coming, it seems natural that they'll begin to look towards the second batch of DLC characters making their way to the beloved fighting game.
Whether the next group of names to join the Super Smash Bros roster comes up soon or not or not, it seems natural that Nintendo will talk more about when players can expect the next batch of DLC and how many names will be included. Although there have been numerous Super Smash Bros. Ultimate rumors about which fighters could come to the game next, it appears most fans will have their fingers crossed for Crash Bandicoot, who would no doubt be a massive crowd-pleaser if announced to be joining the roster.
Pokemon Sword and Shield, Luigi's Mansion, and Untitled Goose Game
It’s not too much of a stretch to believe fans might get other DLC announcements alongside Smash’s next wave of fighters as well. Luigi’s Mansion will no doubt eventually get some form of additional content eventually, while House House’s Untitled Goose Game was such a rampant success that DLC feels somewhat inevitable. There's also the recently announced Pokemon: Sword and Shield DLC pass, which could be discussed in more detail. Nintendo often likes to squeeze in announcements of new content for its biggest current releases during each of its broadcasts, so it’s not a massive leap to assume Nintendo's next Direct will have some too.
Other Possibilities
It seems likely that Nintendo will announce a number of big ports that will release throughout the year at some point too, as well as also giving updates on third party titles coming to the console. Reports seem to hint that Pikmin 3 and Super Mario World could make the jump from Wii-U to the Switch at some point during this year and a future Direct would be a perfect time to reveal them, while an update on the already announced ports of Doom Eternal and The Outer Worlds seems a given. Fans have also been clamoring for ports of The Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, and Skyward Sword ever since the debut of the Switch. It might be wishful thinking, but perhaps these legendary Zelda releases will finally see an announcement, especially as Nintendo's slate is currently somewhat empty.
Although it’s far more unlikely, there’s also a slim chance that The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild’s sequel could make an appearance. Fans haven’t seen the newest title in the hit fantasy series since it was announced at E3 last year, and while the trailer appeared to hint that it might be some time until fans finally get their hands on it, another pre-rendered CG trailer could be on the cards. Naturally, it’s one of the company’s biggest future releases, and it would be wise to reignite fan excitement going into 2020. Even if it just shows a little more of the darker tone hinted at in the creepy reveal trailer last June, a Breath Of The Wild 2 trailer would be welcomed unanimously by the franchise’s wide fanbase. The likelihood, however, is that we’ll have to wait until E3 to get another glimpse at Link’s next adventure, so unless this next Direct takes a whopping five months to materialize, it's unlikely we'll see much in the company's next broadcast.
Nintendo still hasn’t shown much Bayonetta 3 or given any sort of update on the status of Metroid Prime 4 either. Both would no doubt be welcomed with open arms if they were talked about in the near future. While it seems unlikely that either will get much of a spotlight until later in the year, both games have been majorly requested by Switch fans, and if Nintendo wanted to really boost excitement heading into 2020, showing either in the next few months would be a surefire way to do it. There’s also been plenty of speculation about potential sequels to both Splatoon and Super Mario Odyssey, and despite the fact each game might be an unlikely fit for a reveal at the beginning of the year, discussing either would definitely get more eyes on the Switch as it enters the new decade.
Regardless, Nintendo would be wise to use a Direct in the coming months to really push the Switch’s lineup for 2020. In a year dominated by major exclusives, third party titles, and the release of two next-generation consoles that look to push technological boundaries, Nintendo needs to prove that it has the arsenal to co-exist with Microsoft and Sony’s newest developments. If there’s any time to get ahead of the game, it’s in the first few months of the year, where Nintendo can show it has the exclusives and franchises to match even the most groundbreaking of software. Whichever route they take with it, there’s no denying that Nintendo's next Direct will be one to watch.