Are rumors of the next Nintendo Direct true?

Last month ended with a Nintendo Direct presentation that focused exclusively on Super Mario Bros. Wonder, the first mainline 2D Super Mario game in over a decade.

It’s a big deal to see Mario going back to his side-scrolling roots in a new game developed for the Switch, as the majority of the Mario titles for Nintendo’s quasi-handheld console are either 2D reissues from previous consoles or new 3D adventures, like 2017’s Super Mario Odyssey. (Or sometimes they’re both, as in the case of Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury).

However, some Nintendo fans felt cheated that the Direct didn’t highlight any other forthcoming Nintendo titles. After all, Nintendo only averages about three Directs per year — does that mean players have to wait several more months to see a Direct about something other than Super Mario Bros. Wonder? Maybe not, a new leak suggests.

Per Game Rant, a known and trusted leaker who goes by the very-credible-sounding handle NateTheHate2 responded recently on X/Twitter to concerns that Nintendo’s usual September Direct won’t happen because the company just hosted one in August:

Although that hardly narrows it down, the resulting comments compared NateTheHate’s vague prognosis with other known leakers and concluded that the next Direct might be in mid-September, potentially on Sept. 13 or Sept. 25.

Are there more specific reports about the next Nintendo Direct?

Yes. A Portuguese media outlet called Universo Nintendo is reporting that another Direct is happening next week, citing sources familiar with Nintendo’s schedule. The source did not provide an exact date, but it expects the event to occur sometime from Sept. 11 through Sept. 15.

According to Game Rant, the new Direct is likely to feature a look at Detective Pikachu Returns and WarioWare: Move It, which are hitting the Switch on Oct. 6 and Nov. 3, respectively. But it wouldn’t be a Nintendo event if Mario wasn’t featured somehow; hence, the company will likely feature the remake of Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars.

Considering how Nintendo has operated in the past, you can expect them to confirm the date a few days ahead of time.

For example, if the Direct is set for Monday, Sept. 11, then Nintendo likely will announce it by this Friday, Sept. 8. If Friday goes by without an announcement, that doesn’t mean the event won’t happen next week: For example, if Nintendo does plan to hold the next Direct on Sept. 13, as sources have guessed, they might wait until Monday to announce.

Basically, Nintendo makes its own rules, and we all just have to deal with that — as well as the frustrating fact that we aren’t getting any Tears of the Kingdom DLC.