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From The Duskbloods to Mario

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From The Duskbloods to Mario

Today’s September 2026 Nintendo Direct has come and gone, and so has any chance of seeing the next 3D Mario, The Duskbloods, and more highly anticipated games that ended up being no-shows.

Nintendo covered a lot in this morning’s 45-minute slot. Metroid Ravenous is bringing Samus back for another 2D adventure, Kirby and the World Beyond is going 3D in 2027, and Mario Kart World is finally getting some much-needed love with a new update. Nintendo Switch 2 owners are eating well in more ways than one, but many fans say they were left starving for something a little more filling.

For instance, the company’s hybrid sequel console is barreling through its second year without a proper 3D Mario to call its own. The Duskbloods, FromSoftware’s vampire-themed Switch 2 exclusive multiplayer game, was nowhere to be seen despite still carrying a 2026 release window. Rumors suggesting new Super Smash Bros., Nintendogs, and Luigi’s Mansion games were in the works really only helped build the mountain of no-shows overshadowing the show in fans’ minds.

Despite yesterday’s Zelda anniversary stream packing in some big announcements, Nintendo players largely seem to agree that, save for the Metroid and Kirby highlights, today’s September Direct could have packed a bigger punch as the year winds down. It’s a lot to go over, but we’ve gathered all of the biggest absent games from the September 2026 Direct, regardless of whether they’ve actually been announced or not.

The Duskbloods

Even after a year of updates, the Elden Ring and Dark Souls developer has never wavered when it comes to the release schedule for its new game. As details have snowballed into the public consciousness in recent months, it feels like the only thing fans don’t know about the game is its actual release date.

Today’s Direct seemed like a perfect opportunity to pin something down on the calendar, so when it came to a close with Kirby and not Zork, fans grew concerned. It doesn’t help that a recent network test didn’t exactly go off without a hitch.

So, has The Duskbloods been delayed? Well, no – or at least not yet – but if FromSoftware still wants to see it out before the year is up, it’s running out of time to make a proper announcement.

Luigi’s Mansion 4

What is Next Level Games up to? The Mario Strikers and Luigi’s Mansion series developer was officially acquired by Nintendo in 2021, but aside from assisting with the development of 2025’s Metroid Prime 4, the studio’s last headlining release was 2022’s Mario Strikers: Battle League.

Couple that with the fact that it’s been almost seven years since the team put out Luigi’s Mansion 3, and you’ve got a recipe for fans on social media to wonder what’s going on. Nintendo hasn’t officially announced a new entry in Mario’s brother’s ghost-hunting series, but considering the last mainline game’s success, many are hoping we’ll hear from Next Level with a Luigi’s Mansion 4 sooner rather than later.

Animal Crossing

Again, a new Animal Crossing game isn’t something Nintendo has explicitly announced, but that hasn’t stopped fans from clamoring for more. The last time Tom Nook came to take players’ Bells in a more formal manner was with 2020’s monumental original Switch game Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

A Switch 2 version also gave villagers new reasons to return to their island getaways in January of this year, and Nintendo historically favoring long breaks between mainline releases. Despite all of this, fans weren’t happy to see that a new Animal Crossing game didn’t make an appearance.

Mario Kart World DLC

I know what you’re thinking: ‘But Mario Kart World did show up in the Nintendo Direct’ – and you’re right. Today’s shadow drop is one of the open-world kart racer’s biggest yet, bringing reimagined SNES courses for players to race through, free of charge. It’s a nice addition, but judging by reactions across social media and even in our very own comment sections, Nintendo could have done more.

“Anything to avoid giving us new costumes or original tracks, huh?” one IGN reader commented on our update reveal story. “Better than nothing, I suppose, but still – I’m curious what Nintendo’s long-term plans for this game are.”

There’s nothing really stopping the company from holding off on outfits or character DLC for a while longer. After all, Mario Kart 8 went on to receive add-on content in the form of its Deluxe release’s Booster Course Pass years after its original launch. When or if more is on the way is unclear, but it’s probably best if fans don’t write off Mario Kart World just yet.

A New 3D Mario

While something like The Duskbloods felt like a shoo-in, a new mainline 3D Mario game was never quite as certain. That didn’t make its absence sting any less, though.

Super Mario Odyssey‘s launch trailed behind the original Switch’s release by about eight months. Now, 15 months removed from the launch of the Switch 2, we’re still without a new 3D romp for everyone’s favorite Goomba-stomping plumber.

“10 years without a 3D Mario game is f**king pathetic I’m sorry,” one popular X/Twitter post said. “But hey, at least we get our second 3D Kirby in five years!!!!!”

Yes, yes, the wonderful Donkey Kong Bananza has helped fill the nine-year void, but that’s not changing the temperature for fans online who were hoping Nintendo’s Yoshiaki Koizumi would have had more to share during the show.

Super Smash Bros.

Here’s where fan expectations veered from hopes to dreams thanks to recent rumors and leaks that started when notable leaker Malo932 spilled a few beans earlier this week. Despite the lack of any official announcement from Nintendo or series mastermind Masahiro Sakurai, one of the big games many were expecting to see was Super Smash Bros.

Yes, it’s been nearly nine years since Super Smash Bros. Ultimate came out. Yes, it’s been almost exactly five years since Kingdom Hearts’ Sora joined as the game’s final DLC. Yes, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate still hasn’t received a Switch 2 upgrade. All of these things are true, but that didn’t get us any closer to seeing a brand-new entry – or even a port – during the September 2026 Direct.

Malo932 got fans’ hopes up when they said a new, non-port Super Smash Bros. game was in development a few days ago. Alas, the legendary platformer fighter video game crossover series did not return today. Fans took the news about as well as you would expect.

Nintendogs

If you’ve not been keeping up with the latest rumors, you might be surprised to hear that some fans were expecting the beloved Nintendo DS franchise, Nintendogs, to make a comeback. What this could look like on, presumably, a Switch 2 console is anyone’s guess, but the puppy sim has entertained the masses before, so it can surely do it again.

If Nintendogs does return, it seemingly won’t be anytime soon. Naturally, fans are distraught.

More Star Fox

Star Fox has seen a bit of a resurgence in recent months. Nintendo launched its Star Fox remake in June of this year. Leader Fox McCloud also made a shocking surprise appearance in April’s The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.

The Star Fox love continued even during today’s Direct, though it may not have been what many were expecting. Another rumor stemming from Malo932 suggested a brand-new Star Fox Adventures game is in development. Direct watchers will note that the one and only Star Fox Adventures did make an appearance during today’s show, but only as an installment in Nintendo’s Switch Online + Expansion Pack GameCube catalog.

Is there more Star Fox on the way? We’ll have to wait to find out, and so will the rest of the franchise’s fans.

What Nintendo Direct No-Show Did You Want to See?

Nintendo can’t please everyone, and with so many Switch games coming before and after today’s big September show, there’s a lot out there to play. There’s also the fact that the company had so much to offer that it felt the only way to effectively tackle all of the news was to split up its The Legend of Zelda plans with its own 40th Anniversary Direct.

All of that said, Nintendo isn’t going anywhere, so regardless of whether it was rumored or not, be sure to head to the comments below to tell us which games you wish showed up for the September 2026 Nintendo Direct. Who knows? There is still more three months left in the year, so don’t count out an appearance from your favorite franchise just yet.

Michael Cripe

Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).

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