Some companies can still keep a secret A look at the Switch 2s initial games, both familiar and what-the-heck A bit of early 2020s triple-A, some neat originals, and two wild arrivals. Kevin Purdy Apr 2, 2025 3:20 pm | 15 Credit: FromSoftware Credit: FromSoftware Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreI don't think anybody outside Nintendo or FromSoftware was expecting a spiritual successor to Bloodborne to be one of the titles announced at the Nintendo Switch 2's launch today. Not just "playable" on the Switch 2, but exclusive to it. But there it was, The Duskbloods, debuting its dread horror action just a few minutes before the luminously pink and puffy Kirby Air Ride 2.The Switch 2's launch titles, and other announced games, are quite the rich stew. Here are some of the AAA ports, exclusives, and unexpectedly gruesome games arriving on the just-announced system.Switch exclusives, including Nintendos own Riding it like he stole it (in 2003). Credit: Nintendo Riding it like he stole it (in 2003). Credit: Nintendo We'll get to FromSoftware's surprising Switch 2 exclusive in a bit. Far less surprising is a new Mario Kart game, as Mario Kart 8sold more than 67 million copies, covering more than 40 percent of all Switches sold. Mario Kart World goes big, with 24 simultaneous players, and the ability to explore off the course in a kind of open-world setting.These are the other Switch 2 exclusives Nintendo touted today:Kirby Air Riders, a sequel to the 2003 GameCube titleKirby's Air Ride, puts the adorable pink inhalation monster and his friends on jet-powered stars.Donkey Kong Bananza has the big guy doing his usual 3D/2D platforming, but also digging into mines.Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonmenthas Koei Tecmo and Nintendo putting a prequel story toTears of the Kingdom into theDynasty Warriorsmass slash-em-up mold.Drag x Driveuses both the Joy-Con's mouse mode and motion controls for moving, shooting, and even waving to your teammates for the ball in a stylized wheelchair basketball match.Along with those Switch 2-only titles, Nintendo is offering "Switch 2 editions" of many titles for the original Switch, including the not-yet-released Pokmon Legends Z-A, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, and Civilization 7. Existing titles Super Mario Party Jamboree, theZelda games Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, andKirby and the Forgotten Landwill have both Switch 2 Editions and upgrade packs for original Switch title owners.You can read a lot more about original Switch games' compatibility on the Switch 2, "Editions," and upgrade packs elsewhere in Ars' Switch 2 launch coverage.AAA games of recent vintage Switch 2's "Partner Spotlight," Part 1 With the promise of new hardware capable of 1080p, 120 frames per second, HDR, and even mouse capabilities, the Switch 2 is getting attention from developers eager to make up for lost timeand stake out a place on a sequel to the system that sold more than 150 million hardware units.Elden Ring Tarnished Edition,Yakuza 0,Hitman: World of Assassination,Cyberpunk 2077, Street Fighter 6, Hogwarts Legacy, andFinal Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade stood out as games from the near-to-middle past slated to arrive on the Switch 2.Final Fantasy 7 Remake,Street Fighter 6, Civilization 7, andCyberpunk 2077 are due to arrive at launch on June 5, with the rest arriving in 2025.Notable independents (most notably Silksong) Proof of life. Credit: Nintendo/Team Cherry Proof of life. Credit: Nintendo/Team Cherry The cruel games industry joke, ever sinceSilksong's announcement in 2019, is that the game, originally intended as DLC for acclaimed platformer/MetroidvaniaHollow Knight, is always due to be announced, never gets announced, and resumes torturing its expectant fans.But there it was, for a blip of a moment in the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal:Silksong, coming in "2025." That's all that is known: it will, purportedly, arrive on this console in 2025. It was initially due to arrive on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox when it was announced, but that remains to be seen.Another delayed indie gem,Deltarune, a kinda-sequel to Undertale, purports to land all four chapters of its parallel story on Switch 2 at the console's launch.Other notable games from across the studio-size spectrum:Hades 2(2025)Split Fiction (at launch)Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster(at launch)Enter the Gungeon 2 ("Coming soon")Two Point Museum (2025)Human Fall Flat 2("Coming soon")The legally distinct game that sure looks like Bloodborne 2 The hero of this sanguine tale. FromSoftware The hero of this sanguine tale. FromSoftware Everybody's excited about the Switch 2, even this person. FromSoftware Everybody's excited about the Switch 2, even this person. FromSoftware Dig in, it's an unexpectedly rich feast. FromSoftware Dig in, it's an unexpectedly rich feast. FromSoftware Everybody's excited about the Switch 2, even this person. FromSoftware Dig in, it's an unexpectedly rich feast. FromSoftware The next original game from FromSoftware, maker of beautifully realized finger-torture titles like Elden Ring and theDark Souls series, is a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive,The Duskbloods. The trailer, with its gore-etched hands, gothic churches, and eldritch/Victorian machinery, certainly stood out from the Kirby andDonkey Kong games around it. The game arrives sometime in 2026.The Duskbloods announcement from the Switch 2 launch event. It's not FromSoftware's first visit to the Switch, as it broughtDark Souls Remasteredto the original in 2018. But it's the first console exclusive the successful studio has made sinceBloodborne, the 10-year-old PlayStation 4 title that remains available only on the PS4 and PS5, despite clamoring for a PC port or other re-release of many fans' favorite FromSoftware title. Sony, the publisher ofBloodborne, has yet to indicate it intends to release the game wider or even remaster it, while director Hidetaka Miyazaki has said he's keen on it but is hamstrung by Sony.FromSoftware does not typically go for direct sequelseven the multiplayer co-op Elden Ring: Nightreignplays very differently than its single-player predecessor. But the looks, name, and guns of The Duskbloods has even the most devoted Bloodborne fans optimistic that has, all along, been quietly hearing them. The Is Bloodborne on PC account on X posted after today's Switch event that, "I wanted to make an April Fools post about the Nintendo event today but the only fool would have been me. 2 Blood 2 Borne here we go!"An X post by Nintendo citesDuskbloods as multiplayer, and a translation of the game's website implies co-op play versus enemies. This would suggest that, likeNightreign, single-player may not be the focus, or it could not be available at all, though the latter would be surprising.While being a Nintendo exclusive will likely cut off future generations of fans from playing The Duskbloods on newer hardware or different platforms, that is seemingly just the price to pay for more blood-driven boss fights.Kevin PurdySenior Technology ReporterKevin PurdySenior Technology Reporter Kevin is a senior technology reporter at Ars Technica, covering open-source software, PC gaming, home automation, repairability, e-bikes, and tech history. He has previously worked at Lifehacker, Wirecutter, iFixit, and Carbon Switch. 15 Comments