If the ever-churning gaming rumor mill is to be believed, Nintendo fans are in for a treat.
A handful of credible insiders and leakers from Jeff Grubb to Nate the Hate are hinting at the possibility of an incoming Nintendo Direct showcase set to happen soon, with the latter outright saying that it’s scheduled for Thursday, September 14.
The level of certainty from trusted insiders has reached such a pitch that if the Direct doesn’t occur, it might just be one of the biggest curveballs Nintendo has thrown in a long while.
It's going to be on the 14th.
— NateTheHate2 (@NateTheHate2) September 12, 2023
The excitement and anticipation for this purported September 14 Direct have become a topic of debate among fans. At this point, it’s impossible for this event not to disappoint. Given the high expectations that have been established, it’s not within the realm of possibility for the ever-short-fuse of Nintendo fans to blow up and take to the internet to complain about the relative lack of announcements.
Of course, it would be fun if Nintendo decided to mess around and pushed back an originally planned Direct if only to keep fans and leakers on their toes.
However, what’s more likely is for Nintendo to disseminate misleading information internally to throw leakers off the scent while they keep the real Direct details super confidential.
Regardless of the truth, historical precedence suggests that Nintendo will announce their next Direct showcase anytime within today, September 13. Contrary to popular belief, Nintendo almost never gives a few days of notice ahead of its next showcase.
Nintendo Direct announcements usually happen around 7 AM PST / 9 AM CST / 10 AM EST, with the Direct itself set to air about 24 hours later at the same time. That trend has been consistent, even if there have been rare deviations. There have been some instances where Nintendo has chosen to “shadowdrop” their announcements, revealing them without much prior notice. For instance, the Mario Wonder Direct was unveiled on a Wednesday and released the following day. So, it’s entirely possible for Nintendo to announce the Direct late and still hold it on the targeted date.
Given the pattern, the speculations point to a potential announcement coming out tomorrow morning, keeping in line with the usual single day’s notice that Nintendo tends to give for their general Directs. If that is indeed the case, then we can expect the Direct to be aired at the usual time the day after its announcement, as previously mentioned.
However, it’s best to temper expectations. The year is almost coming to an end. Just as we have history to thank for the likelihood of a showcase happening this month, we can only point to the same evidence as proof that these events aren’t the most exciting.
With Nintendo’s holiday lineup all but secured at this point, the showcase will likely focus on updates leading up to the end of the current fiscal year in March and giving final trailers for imminent releases. After the release of Super Mario Bros. Wonder on October 20, Nintendo might focus more on ports and adds-on as well as remasters, like Super Mario RPG. But, we wouldn’t be surprised if we get a surprise Metroid Prime 2 remastered drop.
The upcoming Princess Peach game might be rumored as the “final” exclusive for the Nintendo Switch, but it’s hard to tell what Nintendo is planning. The ever-unpredictable Japanese giant has a knack for surprising everyone.
In any case, if Nintendo does hold the Direct on September 14, fans will be watching closely, eager for any kind of news, surprises, or confirmations of what’s to come in the gaming world.
Fingers crossed, we’ll find out if a new Donkey Kong or Super Smash Bros. game is part of the plans for the supposedly outgoing Switch console.
