Some fans believe that the Switch 2 release date may have been leaked during developer Level-5’s recent Vision 2023 2 launch event, which showcased upcoming games.

As the Switch comes to an end as Nintendo’s flagship console, rumours and speculation have begun to circulate online about what the company’s successor will look like. Although Nintendo hasn’t officially announced anything about Switch 2, some fans believe that the release date for the next console has already been set, based on information recently leaked by developer Level-5. Switch 2 is likely to be released in 2024, but the specific release window could be earlier than some expect if the theory that Level-5 leaked the release date is true.

With the Switch entering its seventh year on the market in 2024, it’s no surprise that Nintendo is preparing to launch the console’s successor in the near future. Earlier rumours suggested that developers would show off the Switch’s successor during a closed-door presentation at Gamescom 2023, but this was denied by Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa. It’s clear that the company wants to remain tight-lipped about the new hardware, so Level-5’s leak of a potential release date has taken many fans by surprise.

Level-5 recently held its Vision 2023 2 launch event, which was dedicated to showing off what games the developer has in store for gamers in the coming year. Among the titles shown during the presentation were Megaton Musashi: Wired and Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road, both of which will be released in the spring of 2024, and Professor Layton and the New World of Steam, which won’t see the light of day until 2025. It was also announced that the original 2023 release date for Decapolice has been pushed back to 2024, as the game’s scope has reportedly exceeded original expectations.

The presentation ended with a teaser for a Yokai Watch announcement in 2024, and Level-5 announced that another Vision presentation is planned for April. However, the most interesting aspect of the presentation was not the introduction of these titles, but rather a segment discussing Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Stole Time. In this segment, Level-5 announced that they have a specific release date for the game, but for “strategic reasons” could not announce it at this time and could only give a release window of summer 2024.

Many viewers found this wording suspicious, as it seems odd that a game could have a specific internal release date, but the developer refused to elaborate, citing strategic reasons. Thus, some fans began to speculate that this “strategic reason” was that Fantasy Life I is being planned as a launch title for Switch 2, and since Nintendo has not yet officially unveiled the console, they cannot announce a specific release date for the game. If this speculation is correct, then the release date for Nintendo’s next console will likely fall in the summer window of 2024.

While many expect Switch 2 to be released around autumn 2024, in line with Nintendo’s previous console releases, there is precedent for a summer release. Both the Famicom and Nintendo 64 were released in the summer in Japan, so it’s not unusual to speculate that summer 2024 could be a possible release date for Switch 2.

While the details surrounding the alleged leak are fan speculation for now, there is some evidence to support the theory that Fantasy Life I will be the Switch 2 launch title. The artwork in the presentation notes that the game is planned for the Switch, with other platforms yet to be decided, which could mean that the game could be released on multiple consoles in addition to the Switch, including the Switch’s more powerful successor. In addition, none of the other titles that were given a release window during the presentation had their release dates delayed for strategic reasons, suggesting that there are special circumstances surrounding Fantasy Life I and its release date.

Source : GameRant