There’s no shortage of upcoming Nintendo Switch games coming in 2025, with next year seeing some of the Japanese company’s heavy hitters coming out. Additionally, we should hear word about the hotly anticipated Nintendo Switch 2 in the early months of next year as well.
We’re expecting big things, as the swan song for Nintendo Switch games could be on the horizon. After all, the hybrid handheld-home console hybrid is closing in on eight years old. We’ve selected the 10 biggest upcoming Switch games that you need to have on your radar, from those with confirmed release dates, release windows, and yet-to-be-determined.
Most anticipated upcoming Nintendo Switch games in 2025
10. Donkey Kong Country Returns HD
- Release date: January 16, 2025
Short of calling the game Donkey Kong Country Returns Again, the latest port of the 2010 Wii classic will shortly make its way to the Nintendo Switch. It’s worth pointing out that its 2014 sequel, Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze, made the swing over in 2018, so it’s been a long time since fans of the barrel-tossing ape have had something to play on the go.
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is more than just a 1080p upscale of the previously 480p iconic platformer. This latest version also includes two-player co-op over 80 different levels, which includes additions brought in by the 2013 3DS version, which also overhauled the control scheme, too. The most exciting thing of all? You won’t be waiting long as the title drops on January 16, 2025; talk about kicking things off with a (barrel) blast.
9. Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector
- Release date: January 31, 2025
While it feels like its predecessor just released, Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector is just on the (event) horizon. You’re once again in the shoes of a sleeper, an emulated human mind bound in an artificial body, and you’re on the run from your maker and gangs. The solution? Take a ship, forge an uneasy alliance, and forge a new path yourself. As with the first game, you’re left to your own devices on how to do this, thanks to deep mechanics inspired by tabletop RPGs.
At the heart of the experience is the returning dice system, which has been revised and improved for Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector. As you get hurt, your dice become less effective, but if you continue to take risks and push yourself, you can get a winning hand. It’s a delicate balance of risk and reward in a dark, dystopian world. Its pleasing graphics and intricate nature make it a perfect fit for the Nintendo Switch.
8. Civilization 7
- Release date: February 11, 2025
Fans of some of the best strategy games on Nintendo Switch aren’t going to want to miss out on Civilization 7. The latest in the leading Sid Meier brand arrives on February 11, 2025, and promises some sweeping overhauls and exciting new additions as you aim to build an advanced civilization of your own.
As with other games in the series, Civilization 7 will see play as influential historical figures, evolving your empire to new heights with an impressive level of detail. The game is said to feature an overhauled tutorial mode and new gameplay systems, which make it ideal for newcomers as well. It looks beautiful, too, making it an easy pick to play on the TV instead of the handheld mode for the best visibility.
7. Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition
- Release date: March 20, 2025
If you have never played Xenoblade Chronicles X when it debuted on the ill-fated Wii U back in 2015, then now’s the perfect time to dive in. Additionally, if you were one of the 13.56 million people who owned the home console, then chances are you’d buy it again anyway. This feature-length RPG will keep you busy for potentially 250+ hours if you want to see and do everything in it, with a main story that eclipses the original in length and variety.
Xenoblade Chronicles X was easily among the best-looking Wii U games ever made, and it’s set to be stunning on the moderately powerful Nintendo Switch, too. The USP of the game is its giant mechs, known as Skells, as well as the customization options. Once you’re done playing alone, you can go online with up to 32 players, which can further flesh out your total playtime. Buying from Nintendo itself even nets you two weeks of Nintendo Switch Online as well.
6. Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope DX
- Release date: TBC 2025
Shovel Knight can easily be considered one of the best Nintendo Switch games of all time, and Shovel of Hope DX looks to be the definitive adventure starring the tool-wielding hero. Described as an “enhanced edition of the pixel-perfect adventure that started it all”, this version of the game features 20 playable characters, online multiplayer, cheats, save states, and every expansion released for the title to date.
Interestingly, this includes the challenge stages, Custom Knight, and the Battle Ghost Arena, as well as the beloved expansions such as Plague of Shadows, King of Cards, and Specter of Torment. It’s a port that appears to be bursting with content and an ideal Nintendo Switch game to play on the TV or bring with you on the go. No exact release date has been confirmed yet. However, Yacht Club Games has said it will be sometime in 2025.
5. Star Overdrive
- Release date: TBC 2025
Star Overdrive is one of the most exciting indie games coming to the Nintendo Switch in 2025. You play as a hoverboard rider on an open-world alien planet who must navigate the harsh environments, solve puzzles, and fight massive bosses. It’s easily Caracel Games’ biggest and most ambitious project to date, and it features a gorgeous cell-shaded art style that should really pop on the hardware.
It’s been confirmed that there are a total of four biomes to explore, all of which have been crafted to accommodate the hoverboard for traversal, as well as containing secrets to uncover. Star Overdrive looks like a throwback to a simpler time of 3D collect-a-thon adventure games, which should be perfect for playing on the go or enjoying on the big screen. No release window has been offered outside of next year, but we are hopeful it will be sooner rather than later.
4. Hollow Knight Silksong
- Release date: TBC 2025 (Rumored)
Another year, another opportunity to wait for Hollow Knight Silksong to materialize. The hotly anticipated sequel to the 2017 cult-hit Metroidvania has been a long time in the making, enduring numerous delays since it was first unveiled back in early 2019. 2025 has not been confirmed to be the window for the game; however, rumors have been circulating around next year as a potential release year, and it’s been long enough.
Hollow Knight Silksong takes place in a new kingdom from the predecessor. You’ll see far more greenery in the sequel as there will be forests, grottos, moors, and cities overrun with nature’s influence. There will be over 150 enemies to face and run from, and the new Silk Soul mode will dial up the difficulty for a harder challenge. Combine that with incredible visuals, and you will have one of the Nintendo Switch’s biggest upcoming games to date.
3. Professor Layton and the New World of Steam
- Release date: TBC 2025
It’s been a long time since Professor Layton last graced a Nintendo console. He previously was synonymous with the company’s handhelds, defining the Nintendo DS and 3DS generations with the stylish anime-inspired puzzler point-and-clicks. Well, in 2025, Professor Layton and the New World of Steam will bring the series back to form for a new generation. Considering the last mainline entry, Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy, debuted in 2013, this one can’t come soon enough.
Powered by the Nintendo Switch, the New World of Steam is easily the most visually striking in the Professor Layton series. A new reveal trailer showcases a darker tone for the story than what we’ve typically seen in the franchise, with the steampunk-inspired world under threat by Gunman King Joe. As well as exploring the new setting, puzzles are the name of the game, and there’s no shortage to choose from, as you’ll get to solve “the most puzzles in the series’ history”.
2. Pokémon Legends: Z-A
- Release date: TBC 2025
Concrete details around Pokémon Legends: Z-A are admittedly scarce. However, we do know that the latest in the long-running monster-catching series will arrive worldwide in 2025. Set in the all-new Luminose City, a proposed safe haven for humans and Pokémon to live in harmony like never before, there’s a lot of hype behind this upcoming Nintendo Switch game.
It’s worth noting that the Legends tag in the title of Z-A infers a more action-orientated approach to the slower-paced RPG entries in the franchise. Considering that Pokémon Legends: Arceus is among the best Nintendo Switch games, we are hoping for big things with this follow-up. We’re hopeful that more details will be revealed soon; however, we expect this game to be released towards the end of next year, which is in line with what’s typically seen in the series.
1. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
- Release date: TBC 2025
Without question, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is our most anticipated Nintendo Switch game for 2025. It’s been 17 long years since the release of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, with the premiere first-person shooter series reserved for portable spin-offs ever since. Metroid Prime 4 was first teased to be in production all the way back in June 2017, shortly after the release of the hardware, so to see it be one of the (potentially) final games for the console feels fitting.
Released almost seven years to the day of its initial teasing, the Metroid Prime 4: Beyond announcement trailer delivers on the action. Samus returns, as does the Morph Ball form, and the Space Pirates for good measure, too. The long wait is nearly over, as we’ll get to see what could be the final entry in the Metroid Prime series play out at last. Following Metroid Dread and the excellent Metroid Prime Remastered, it’s been an incredible time to be a fan of the bounty hunter.
