Nintendo hints at Direct livestream amid maintenance and trailer releases

In the lead-up to the scheduled maintenance for the Nintendo Switch eShop, the company confirmed that both the original Switch and the upcoming Switch 2 will undergo a brief downtime on July 31, 2025. This maintenance is expected to occur from 7am BST (2am ET, 11pm PT on July 30) to 8.30am BST (3.30am ET, 12.30am PT on July 31). The maintenance has raised speculation about an imminent Nintendo Direct livestream, given that the company typically hosts such events in June or July to update fans on upcoming releases. Additionally, there has been a release of an overview trailer for Drag x Drive, a new title that appears to be a unique sports game focusing on wheelchair basketball. The trailer is about eight minutes long, suggesting that highlighting the game in full during a Direct would be less feasible, thus leading to its early release to generate excitement. The timing of this maintenance, along with the recent trailer release, has led to conjectures about Nintendo's plans to announce further details on their upcoming projects later this year. While the publisher has a modest lineup including Drag x Drive, the Switch 2 Edition of Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, Pokemon Legends: Z-A, and Kirby Air Riders, the game schedule for the remainder of 2025 is not particularly extensive. The lack of numerous first-party releases raises the question of a potential Direct announcement to garner interest and outline future plans after the successful launch of the Switch 2. Despite the buzz surrounding these events, Nintendo has not officially confirmed a Direct for July, yet the community remains hopeful as more details emerge.