Still No New 3D Game On Switch 2, But Here's Why There Is Hope

Today is Mario Day, or rather MAR10 Day since, every March 10, Nintendo takes advantage of the spelling coincidence to celebrate its mustachioed plumber with promotions, announcements and a few surprises. In 2026, the date takes on a particular resonance. Mario is celebrating its 40th birthday, the Super Mario Galaxy movie is coming out in less than a month, and the Switch 2 is taking off well. Everything seemed to come together for a historic announcement and yet, the next Mario in 3D has still not shown the tip of its cap. Eight years after Odyssey, the wait continues, but it may no longer be very long.

A MAR10 Day 2026 in half-dyed

Let’s be direct, Nintendo didn’t necessarily do what we all expected for this MAR10 Day. Three classic games have joined Nintendo Switch Online, including Mario Clash and Mario’s Tennis via the Virtual Boy collection, as well as Mario vs. Donkey Kong on Game Boy Advance. Yet another trailer for the next Mario Galaxy film was released, then Nintendo Music was enriched with the soundtrack of Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury. The most interesting point still remains the release date of the next Yoshi game, even if in my opinion this only concerns Mario out of opportunism.

It’s clean, but for the 40th anniversary of the franchise, we clearly expected something else. Well, in reality it’s still better than the 40 years of Zelda which were completely ignored by Nintendo

Crossing the Dry-Dry Desert for Mario in 3D

To understand how unprecedented the situation is, you just have to look at the figures. Super Mario Odyssey was released on October 27, 2017. And to put that into perspective, this is what the intervals between each major episode of the saga give: six years between Super Mario 64 and Sunshine, five years between Sunshine and Galaxy, three years between Galaxy and Galaxy 2, another three years between Galaxy 2 and 3D World, four years between 3D World and Odyssey. And since Odyssey? Eight years and still counting. This is by far the franchise’s longest silence since Mario jumped into the third dimension in 1996.

Nintendo hasn’t stood idly by during this time, of course. The Switch has given birth to a generation of extraordinary games and the Switch 2 starts with strong license titles like Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananzaeven if the general impression among the players shows that they were not really convinced. Mario, the real Mario platformer in 3D, the one who embodies the very essence of Nintendo’s know-how for thirty years, is desired like never before.

What do the rumors say about this next Mario?

In this void, the insiders obviously smelled the seam. But be careful, the world of Nintendo rumors is a minefield where commitment farms rub shoulders with real sources.

Among the voices that deserve attention, NashWeedle has stood out in recent months. He claims to know from several consistent sources that a new Mario 3D is in development for Switch 2 and would be planned for 2026constituting the big title of the year for Nintendo. What gives credence to his words is that he is one of the insiders who had correctly anticipated the announcement of Donkey Kong Bananza well before it was official. Nate the Hate, considered one of the most reliable sources on the Nintendo scene, has not denied these rumors. He who normally does not hesitate to reframe false information, his silence is eloquent.

On the nature of the game itself, rumors speak of something ambitious and not a direct sequel to Odyssey, but a never-before-seen title that would take the franchise in an entirely new direction. The title would have a more open and ambitious open world structure than anything Mario has seen so far. Nothing surprising here, but if it’s true, it would go a long way to explaining why the wait is so long.

The announcement will be made in 2026 otherwise I will eat my hat

Many topics around Mario converge towards a revelation this year. The Super Mario Galaxy movie came out April 1st. Millions of spectators will dive back into the world of Mario in the coming weeks, bringing the franchise to an exceptional level of cultural visibility. Nintendo would be crazy not to take advantage of this window to announce the next big game.

The Switch 2 has probably just found its best system seller in Pokopia, but imagine what a new 3D Mario will be like after so many years?

Finally, 2026 marks 30 years of Super Mario 64, the game that literally invented the modern 3D platformer and laid the foundation for everything that followed. Releasing or announcing the next Mario this year would have an obvious symbolic resonance that Nintendo cannot ignore.

The shadow of GTA VI hangs over the Mushroom Kingdom

Well obviously, Mario and GTA do not concern the same audience at all (although…), but the fact remains that Rockstar’s game remains an obstacle to the release of the next Mario in 2026. R* has confirmed a release date of November 19 and no one in the industry wants to find themselves in direct competition with the gaming event of the decade. This de facto closes the traditional end-of-year window.

We therefore clearly see an announcement during a Nintendo Direct in the spring, in April or June, in the wake of the Galaxy film, with a targeted release in the first half of 2027. Nintendo would benefit from the post-film peak of interest to make its reveal, would let the excitement build over several months and would launch the game far from GTA VI in a period where it would reign supreme.

Let’s also remember that Nintendo no longer announces its games very far in advance. If a reveal comes in spring 2026, a release within the next six to nine months is perfectly realistic. Waiting for, Happy Mario Day to everyone after forty years of jumping, mushrooms and stars.