Nintendo Direct officially announced, and it's happening sooner than you think

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A Nintendo Direct has been officially announced for January 2026. Many expected The Big N to host one soon, with some Nintendo Direct theories pointing towards February 2026, which is usually the first of the year (alongside a Pokemon Direct). However, that is typical.

February 27 is the 30th anniversary of Pokémon franchise. In the past, there have been two Nintendo Directs in February – one focused on more general games, one focused on the disc of Pokémon game in progress. This may still be the case as the January 2026 Nintendo Direct is special. It's not a third-party game Nintendo Direct, but it's not a first-party game either. In fact, no games will even be on this Nintendo Direct.

Super Mario Galaxy The Movie Nintendo Direct

A Nintendo Direct will take place on Sunday, January 25 at 6 a.m. PT/9 a.m. ET. It will include an exclusive look at what's to come Super Mario Galaxy moviewith a new image being released alongside this announcement. That image, seen below, gives fans their first official look at Fire Mario and Fire Luigi. In it Super Mario Galaxy moviethe brothers (Mario and Luigi) accompany Prince Peach and Toad on a journey to outer space to meet Bowser Jr. It is currently set to release on April 3rd.

Given its release soon, as well as its prominence for Nintendo, Illumination, and Universal Pictures, it's not a surprise to see it get a full Direct instead of just being part of one. This film follows on the heels of April 2023 Super Mario Bros. Filmas “well received” doesn't seem like a strong enough description. Its box office success fed directly into this new Mario movie, which was announced in March 2024. Directors Aaron Hovarth and Michael Jelenic, as well as screenwriter Matthew Fogel, all return.