Nintendo Direct Reportedly Set for September, as Metroid Prime 4 Release Date and Mario 40th Anniversary Speculation Mounts

A fresh Nintendo Direct broadcast will air in September, according to a new report.

Speculation around the next major Nintendo Direct date has been rife following a series of other presentations over the past few months focusing on third-party games or individual titles, including a recent deep dive on Kirby Air Riders. Now, VGC has said it has heard of a mid-September date for the next Direct.

Such a showing would be timely, as several major questions currently hang in the air for Nintendo fans — including, most importantly, a release date for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.

Previously promised to arrive in 2025, Nintendo has not shown anything new of the long-awaited Metroid Prime 4 since the Switch 2's full unveiling back in April. The silence has led some to fear the game could suffer a fresh delay — something Nintendo will likely want to avoid if at all possible.

And then there's the small matter of Super Mario Bros.' 40th anniversary, which comes at an interesting time for Nintendo's mascot plumber. Nintendo celebrated the game's 35th anniversary with its time-limited Super Mario 3D All-Stars package and Super Mario Bros. 35, plus the opening of the first Super Nintendo World theme park.

How will Nintendo celebrate Super Mario Bros.' 40th? Well, we already know that the coming year will include the launch of Nintendo and Universal's Super Mario Bros. Movie Sequel. On the game front, what plans Nintendo might have remain to be seen — but there are other 3D Mario games Nintendo could serve up for a fresh re-release, if it so chooses. Could we even get a glimpse of Switch 2's big new 3D Mario, also?

The stage is set for a strong Nintendo Direct in September, should the company officially announce plans. Alongside all the speculation, there remains the fact that Nintendo has broadcast a major Nintendo Direct every September since 2016 (except for last year, when it held news back for the announcement of Switch 2).

Currently, Nintendo's Switch 2 line-up for the remainder of 2025 looks like this: Kirby and the Forgotten Land – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World arrives on August 28, before Pokémon Legends: Z-A – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition launches on October 16. After that, Kirby Air Riders is up next on November 20.

If it makes this year, could Metroid Prime 4: Beyond sneak into September, or will it squeak into 2025 just before Christmas in December? Here's hoping fans don't have too much longer to wait and find out.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social