Nintendo will reportedly not broadcast a Nintendo Direct this June. According to Venturebeat, the company will have to delay its annual summer presentation due to development complications caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Eurogamer says its sources have corroborated the report, and the Direct is now expected to air “late in the summer.”
If true, this would mark the first time since 2013 that Nintendo has not aired a Nintendo Direct in June. The company has used the pre-recorded presentations in lieu of a live press conference to deliver its E3 announcements. GameSpot has reached out to Nintendo for comment.
Nintendo was reportedly going to make some major announcements during this year’s June Direct. The company had previously said it would reveal Super Smash Bros. Ultimate‘s next DLC fighter, a character from Arms, this June, presumably during the Direct. It’s unclear if that announcement will be postponed or delivered through some different means.
Reports had also recently circulated that Nintendo is planning to release a handful of remastered Mario games for Switch this year to celebrate the series’ 35th anniversary. According to VGC, Nintendo was planning to reveal the games “as a physical event” at E3 2020, before the expo was canceled due to the coronavirus. A new Paper Mario game is also reportedly in development for the Switch and set to be released this year.
Although E3 is no longer taking place this year, many publishers such as Microsoft, Ubisoft, and Limited Run Games have all announced they’ll be exploring digital alternatives to the expo. GameSpot will also be holding its own multi-week summer event this year called Play For All, which will feature gaming news, previews, interviews, and also raise money for COVID-19 relief efforts.
