Best Upcoming Nintendo Switch Games in 2022

The year 2022 is, quite literally, stacked with new games, whether those are much anticipated RPGs or well-loved action titles. However, more than any platform in the gaming industry, the Nintendo Switch has the most to show in terms of exclusives. With triple-A developers celebrating their anniversaries and delayed games making their appearances soon, below are some of the best upcoming Nintendo Switch games in 2022.

Mario + Rabbids Sparks Of Hope

The first Mario + Rabbids was released in late 2017. Since then, it has sold over 7.5 million copies worldwide. In 2022, this strategy Mario and Raving Rabbids crossover game is getting its sequel in Sparks Of Hope. Unlike its predecessor, the level designs are more open world and its combat now completely ignores the grid-based layout. The exact release date hasn’t been revealed, but it will definitely be sometime in 2022.

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is a sci-fi real-time strategy adventure game first launched in 2019 on the PS4. In April 2022, it’s finally arriving on the Nintendo Switch after a lot of requests and positive feedback. In typical Atlus writing, expect a lot of drama, intricate character motivations, and a very interesting narrative conveyance. It was even nominated for Best Narrative in The Game Awards 2020.

Rune Factory 5

The last Rune Factory game was released nearly a decade ago for the Nintendo 3DS, so imagine everyone’s surprise when a new one was announced for March 2022. Rune Factory 5 is an RPG Harvest Moon spin-off, complete with weapon crafting, level grinding, and notoriously difficult bosses.

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Plus, it’s the first Rune Factory ever to have full-scale character sprites! Fans are pretty psyched to see how it turns out.

Advance Wars 1+2 Re-Boot Camp

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a tactics fan who hasn’t heard of Advance Wars, which is an award-winning turn-based strategy game developed for the Game Boy Advance. Much recently, Intelligent Systems revealed that they’re going to remaster the first two games of the series for the Nintendo Switch. Advance Wars 1+2 Re-Boot Camp is expected to release sometime in spring 2022.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land

September 2021’s Nintendo Direct brought with it a special surprise: a brand new Kirby game—and an open world one to boot. Not much was shown in the announcement trailer, butKirby and the Forgotten Landtells the story of a mysterious world with abandoned buildings from a past civilization… like a shopping mall. Much like Advance Wars, it’s set to release sometime between March and June.

Triangle Strategy

Splatoon 3

The very first Splatoon 3 trailer was revealed last February, during Nintendo’s first full Direct after a year of mini ones. It showcased a ton of fun things players have never seen from the past game before, such as a squid-ink grappling hook, a new “Mammalian” foe, and a more extensive character customization feature. Even your pet can be customized a little! This new addition to the 4-on-4 turf war series is set to release sometime in 2022.

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Bayonetta 3

Many Astral Chain fans were pleasantly baited when Lappy the Mascot made its appearance during this game’s reveal trailer, but for a title nearly four years in development, Bayonetta 3 deserved the spotlight. The stylish and sexy Umbra Witch is back in action—sporting an all-new outfit and an oddly familiar hairstyle. Much like Splatoon, its exact release date is unclear, though PlatinumGames has assured that it’ll be sometime in 2022.

Untitled The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Sequel

Nintendo first revealed the Breath of the Wild’s sequel teaser in 2019, and every year after, fans wonder when the game will come out. But since Nintendo has released agameplay trailerlast July, people are pretty optimistic that 2022 will be the year. There will allegedly be more intricate air physics in this one because of all the floating islands, which should be a lot of fun.