A look at the Switch 2’s initial games, both familiar and what-the-heck

A moon, seemingly made out of etched steel, roots crawling out of its mouth, approaching a figure in a glowing cloudscape.

You can read a lot more about original Switch games’ compatibility on the Switch 2, “Editions,” and upgrade packs elsewhere in Ars’ Switch 2 launch coverage.

AAA games of recent vintage

Switch 2’s “Partner Spotlight,” Part 1

With the promise of new hardware capable of 1080p, 120 frames per second, HDR, and even mouse capabilities, the Switch 2 is getting attention from developers eager to make up for lost time—and stake out a place on a sequel to the system that sold more than 150 million hardware units.

Elden Ring Tarnished Edition, Yakuza 0, Hitman: World of Assassination, Cyberpunk 2077, Street Fighter 6, Hogwarts Legacy, and Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade stood out as games from the near-to-middle past slated to arrive on the Switch 2.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Street Fighter 6, Civilization 7, and Cyberpunk 2077 are due to arrive at launch on June 5, with the rest arriving in 2025.

Notable independents (most notably Silksong)

Proof of life.

Credit:

Nintendo/Team Cherry

The cruel games industry joke, ever since Silksong’s announcement in 2019, is that the game, originally intended as DLC for acclaimed platformer/Metroidvania Hollow Knight, is always due to be announced, never gets announced, and resumes torturing its expectant fans.

But there it was, for a blip of a moment in the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal: Silksong, coming in “2025.” That’s all that is known: it will, purportedly, arrive on this console in 2025. It was initially due to arrive on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox when it was announced, but that remains to be seen.

Another delayed indie gem, Deltarune, a kinda-sequel to Undertale, purports to land all four chapters of its parallel story on Switch 2 at the console’s launch.

Other notable games from across the studio-size spectrum:

Hades 2 (2025)
Split Fiction (at launch)
Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster (at launch)
Enter the Gungeon 2 (“Coming soon”)
Two Point Museum (2025)
Human Fall Flat 2 (“Coming soon”)

The legally distinct game that sure looks like Bloodborne 2

The next original game from FromSoftware, maker of beautifully realized finger-torture titles like Elden Ring and the Dark Souls series, is a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, The Duskbloods. The trailer, with its gore-etched hands, gothic churches, and eldritch/Victorian machinery, certainly stood out from the Kirby and Donkey Kong games around it. The game arrives sometime in 2026.