6 major Nintendo Direct announcements to expect on Feb 17

It’s been revealed that the next Nintendo Direct will take place on February 17, and these are some of the big announcements that could happen during the event.

In typical Nintendo style, the company have made a surprise last-minute announcement that a 50-minute livestream will take place on Wednesday, February 17, 2021, at 2 PM ET. It will be the first proper Direct since September 4, 2019.

Nintendo have promised the update will include “information focused on available games like Super Smash Bros Ultimate” as well as all the games coming to Nintendo Switch in the first half of 2021, such as New Pokemon Snap.

But gamers will no doubt be hoping for some major announcements, too. Here’s what we’re expecting to see in the February 17 Nintendo Direct, from a new Smash Ultimate fighter to release dates for some of the biggest games.

Legend of Zelda 35th anniversary celebrations

As this Nintendo Direct arrives the week before the 35th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda, which takes place on February 21, it’s likely that there will be quite a few announcements regarding the iconic franchise.

In a similar fashion to Super Mario’s 35th-anniversary celebrations in 2020, we wouldn’t be surprised to see some of the biggest games in the series get re-released. Perhaps Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, and Skyward Sword on Switch?

• Read More: Everything we know about New Pokemon Snap

There could be crossovers with other Nintendo video games in the works, too, as Mario got a Super Smash Bros Ultimate online tournament and themed furniture in Animal Crossing for its big anniversary.

While remakes are great for nostalgia, most fans will be hoping for something a little bigger, which brings us to our next big prediction…

Zelda Breath of the Wild 2 release date

Okay, so this one seems unlikely, but we can dream, right? A sequel to the critically-acclaimed and universally-beloved Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was announced two years ago, during E3 2019, but since then it’s been radio silence.

While this probably isn’t a good sign for a 2021 release date, it could be the case that Nintendo is simply keeping everything under wraps in an attempt to retain the surprise factor when it does get announced.

Yes, we’re already getting our clown masks ready for when we don’t get a single piece of news about the game during the Direct, but Nintendo are known to throw a wild card or two out during these big livestreams, so let’s hope.

New Super Smash Bros Ultimate DLC

Nintendo have confirmed that the upcoming Direct will feature Smash Bros Ultimate, so we’d put money on a new DLC fighter being announced at some point during the 50-minute livestream.

• Read More: Multiple fan-favorite Smash Ultimate DLC fighters possibly ruled out

Following appearances from the likes of Minecraft’s Steve and Final Fantasy’s Sephiroth, the next fighter could be anyone, but fans of the long-running fighter series have some interesting theories.

Some players believe Crash Bandicoot could be announced as a fighter as Crash 4 has just been confirmed for a Switch release, while a Smash leaker has hinted at Street Fighter’s Chun-Li or a ‘Tales Of’ character.

Metroid Prime 4 release date

If it seems like it’s been years since we last heard about Metroid, that’s because it has been. Metroid Prime 4 was announced for Nintendo Switch during E3 2017, and we’ve not had any significant details about the sequel since then.

While it might not be Nintendo’s most popular franchise when compared to the likes of Animal Crossing and Super Mario, there are plenty of loyal Metroid fans who are desperate for more adventures from their favorite space warrior Samus Aran.

It’s about time we got a release date for Metroid Prime 4, and 2021 would do nicely – especially as Nintendo’s release schedule is looking quite bare right now.

Pokemon 25th anniversary celebrations

The Legend of Zelda isn’t the only franchise celebrating a major anniversary in 2021. It’s been 25 years since Pokemon Red and Green released on the Game Boy in Japan, and there are sure to be some exciting announcements in store.

As well as updates for Pokemon Sword & Shield and Pokemon Go, we might get new information about the big-name music collabs with the likes of Katy Perry and Post Malone taking place this year. There’s always a chance we’ll get a surprise announcement of a new spin-off game, too.

• Read More: Pokemon community reveals their craziest trades ever

What gamers really want, of course, are the long-rumored Pokemon Diamond and Pearl remakes on Nintendo Switch, but with a focus on games releasing in the first half of 2021, the chances of that happening seem slim.

Fortnite crossover skin

After both PlayStation and Xbox got crossover skins in Fortnite Season 5 with God of War’s Kratos and Halo’s Master Chief, many players of the popular battle royale were left wondering if Nintendo might follow suit with a character of their own.

The most obvious rumor so far has been Metroid’s Samus Aran, as she fits the ‘bounty hunter’ theme of the current season. But there are other franchises that could easily blend in with the world of Fortnite, like The Legend of Zelda and Star Fox.

Some might argue that Nintendo are too protective over their IPs to allow a crossover with Fortnite, but we could be surprised. After all, there was a time that no one believed Nintendo would make the jump to mobile gaming, but that happened.

We’ve got all the information you need about how to watch the February 17 Nintendo Direct here.