23 January 2026

Nintendo Direct Officially Announced, and It’s Happening Sooner Than You Think

By newsgame

Joshua grew up in poverty, deep in the Middle of Nowhere, Alabama. Gaming was a rarely afforded escape from reality that persisted throughout his life, something that saw him through good times and hard times. Joshua started at Game Rant in 2017 where he fell in love with a company that supports creativity, treats video games with the respect they deserve, and is complete with people whose passions match his. It’s this passion he hopes to communicate in every post, in every conversation about the industry, and so forth. Outside of gaming and Game Rant, Joshua spends a lot of time with his lovely wife and children, keeps pulling for Cody Rhodes in WWE, and manages the farm he inherited from his grandfather. If you name a video game, Joshua can rant about it—that’s a guarantee. For Joshua, the world of gaming isn’t just an industry, but his first love.

A Nintendo Direct has officially been announced for January 2026. Many expected The Big N to host one soon, with some Nintendo Direct theories pointing to February 2026, which is typically the first of the year (alongside a Pokemon Direct). That’s typically, however.

February 27 is the 30th anniversary of the Pokemon franchise. In the past, there have been two Nintendo Directs in February—one focused on more general games, one focused on the slate of Pokemon games in the pipeline. This may still be the case because January 2026’s Nintendo Direct is special. It’s not a third-party game Nintendo Direct, but nor is it a first-party one. In fact, no games will even be at this Nintendo Direct.

Super Mario Galaxy Movie Nintendo Direct

A Nintendo Direct will take place on Sunday, January 25, at 6 am PT/ 9 am ET. It will feature an exclusive look at the upcoming Super Mario Galaxy Movie, with a new image releasing alongside this announcement. That image, seen below, gives fans their first official look at Fire Mario and Fire Luigi. In the Super Mario Galaxy Movie, the brothers (Mario and Luigi) join Prince Peach and Toad on a journey into Outer Space to face off with Bowser Jr. It is currently set to be released on April 3.

Given it is releasing soon, as well as its prominence for Nintendo, Illumination, and Universal Pictures, it’s not a surprise to see it getting a full Direct—instead of just being part of one. This movie follows on the heels of April 2023’s Super Mario Bros. Movie, for which “well-received” doesn’t seem to be a strong enough description. Its box office success directly contributed to this new Mario movie, which was announced in March 2024. Directors Aaron Hovarth and Michael Jelenic, as well as screenwriter Matthew Fogel, all return.