Nintendo Direct February 2022 start time, how to watch, and games to expect
Nintendo could have a big year
It’s been almost 10 months since the last proper Nintendo Direct, and Nintendo has at long last announced the first digital presentation of 2022 — and it’ll focus mostly on games being released in the first half of the year. Nintendo’s presentations are generally packed with information and reveals, so here’s everything you need to know about the February 2022 Nintendo Direct.
How to watch the February 9 Nintendo Direct
The first Nintendo Direct of the year will take place on February 9 at 5 p.m. Eastern. In the announcement tweet, Nintendo said the presentation would last roughly 40 minutes. As usual, the best place to watch will be on Nintendo’s YouTube channel, and we’ve embedded the presentation directly above. You can also tune in via the official Nintendo website if you choose to.
What games to expect at the February Nintendo Direct
Nintendo already has a handful of titles announced that we can, probably, expect to see during the Nintendo Direct. The two that will definitely appear are Kirby and the Forgotten Land (March 25, 2022) and Splatoon 3 (2022). This will likely be the only presentation before Kirby releases so expect at least a trailer, and we could even see the announcement of a Kirby-focused direct at a later date. Splatoon 3, on the other hand, has seen very little info since its reveal, and it seems likely Nintendo will finally share a release date in this presentation.
Splatoon 3 was first announced in a February 2021 Direct, and info has been sparse ever since.
A few other titles that could appear are Triangle Strategy (March 4), Advance Wars 1+2: Reboot Camp (2022), Chocobo GP (March 10), Rune Factory 5 (March 22), Mario+Rabbids: Sparks of Hope (2022), and Sports Story (2022). There are, obviously, quite a few games we already know about, but it wouldn’t be a Nintendo Direct without some surprises.
Rumors and speculation for February Nintendo Direct
Every big Nintendo Direct has at least a couple of big surprises that fans don’t expect, and there are a few rumors swirling about what those could be in the February 2022 Direct. In January 2022 Nate the Hate, a well-known Nintendo leaker, shared a variety of rumors on YouTube, which were compiled in this Reddit thread. While these are rumors, and shouldn’t be outright believed, many of them do make sense.
A new Fire Emblem game seems likely, as it’s been almost three years since the release of Fire Emblem: Three Houses. Nate the Hate claims that a remake of Geneology of the Holy War, a Super Famicom title that was never released outside of Japan, is planned for 2022, while a brand new Fire Emblem is coming in 2023.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses was released back in July 2019, while the last Fire Emblem remake, Shadow of Valentia, was released on 3DS in 2017.
An HD remaster of Metroid Prime also has some potential, as we’ve been seeing Metroid Prime Trilogy rumors for a couple of years now. Some of Nate the Hate’s other rumors include a Persona 4 Golden port, an announcement for Xenoblade Chronicles 3, and Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters coming to Switch. As for the latter, Square Enix would be leaving money on the table by not bringing the Pixel Remasters to Switch, so that seems more like a question of when.
Finally, another rumor making the rounds from the leaker Zippo, who claims that Nintendo is set to reveal Mario Kart 9. That’s a big claim, of course, but again it seems like more of a question of when not if. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is still the best-selling Switch game, by a wide margin, and there’s simply no way that Nintendo won’t develop another entry in the franchise at some point.
