With Hollow Knight: Silksong Finally Released, Nintendo Direct Viewers Are Looking for a New Game to Hope For and Then Get Disappointed Over

There's less than 24 hours until a major Nintendo Direct, but this one feels different. Yes, Hollow Knight: Silksong has finally launched—leaving fans hunting for their next big hope, and the inevitable letdown that follows.

With Metroid Prime 4: Beyond’s release date looking increasingly solid, players are turning to Nintendo’s deeper cuts for their next obsession. Think Star Fox (silent since 2017’s Star Fox 2), Golden Sun (last seen in 2010), and F-Zero (only getting tiny doses since F-Zero 99 in 2004). And what about Mother 3?

Of course, tomorrow’s Direct won’t just focus on Nintendo’s own IP. Could this be the moment we finally get updates on Beyond Good & Evil 2? Ubisoft’s spacefaring sequel now holds the Guinness World Record for the longest-developed video game in history. You never know. (You probably do.)

This week’s big Nintendo Direct airs tomorrow, Friday, September 12, at 6am Pacific, 9am Eastern, or 2pm UK time. It’s shaping up to be a packed hour of announcements, and fan expectations for major reveals are higher than ever.

Beyond this year—Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is still targeted for 2025, last we heard—Nintendo’s roadmap for Switch 2 remains mostly hidden. We know about spinoffs like Splatoon: Raiders and FromSoftware’s exclusive The Duskbloods. But beyond those, the future is still shrouded in secrecy.

“Now that Silksong is out, what do we pray for in every Nintendo Direct?”

NEVER. STOP. COPING. pic.twitter.com/QhfKXfJkYH

— Nightmare Foxy (@NightmareFoxxyy) September 3, 2025

ALRIGHT SILKSO- wait

ALRIGHT DELTARU- wait...

uhhh...

what do i root for https://t.co/1Avl9TNHTF

— Cibles (@CiblesGD) September 10, 2025

The timing of tomorrow’s Direct is also noteworthy—many fans have noted it lands the day before Super Mario Bros.’ 40th anniversary. Nintendo marked the last big milestone with special releases, including the limited-time Super Mario 3D All-Stars Collection.

Could we see something similar announced tomorrow? Maybe Galaxy 2? Or a first look at the next mainline 3D Mario title? Perhaps even news on next year’s Super Mario Bros. Movie sequel? Tune in tomorrow to find out what’s real—IGN will be covering it live. (Please, no talk of Silksong 2.)

Earlier this month, a former Nintendo employee suggested the company realizes it no longer needs to invent as many new franchises—fans are already eager for fresh entries in existing series, and those can easily be reimagined with modern gameplay twists.