Switch 2 Officially Has 2 Exclusive GOTY Contenders In September 2026

Exclusive games from developers outside Nintendo’s first-party network are rare on Switch 2 — heck, they’re rare on any platform — and here’s a particularly exciting example from Tokyo-based developer Shapefarm and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 publisher Kepler Interactive. Orbitals is a co-op puzzle-platforming adventure for two players in the vein of Hazelight’s It Takes Two and Split Fiction. It’s also a super stylish and charming retro tribute to the more optimistic, all-ages sci-fi anime of the 1980s, including French-produced series like Ulysses 31. The fidelity of the art and animation style has to be seen to be believed, even in motion.

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Onimusha: Way of the Sword

Release date: Sep. 4

Capcom continues its full-throated support for the Switch 2 with yet another day-one release of a AAA cross-platform game. This time, it’s the first mainline entry in the studio’s historical fantasy action-adventure series in 20 years. Way of the Sword — which Capcom says is not a Soulslike — is focused firmly on the swordplay, with a sophisticated combat system for taking on rival swordsmen as well as the demons and other occult threats that haunt Edo-period Kyoto.

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Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave

Release date: Sep. 17

Nintendo and Intelligent Systems’ cult tactical RPG series returns, and there’s hope that Fortune’s Weave will deliver the excellence the series is capable of on both story and gameplay fronts for the first time since 2013 series highlight Awakening. Since then, Three Houses has massively expanded the popularity of Fire Emblem, so the sky’s the limit for Fortune’s Weave, which tells the story of four protagonists competing for glory at a heroic arena tournament. Could this be a genuine Game of the Year contender?

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EA Sports FC 27

Release date: Sep. 25

EA’s gargantuan soccer series returns, still without FIFA branding, but benefiting nevertheless from the huge swell of interest in the sport after the 2026 World Cup. This new edition introduces The Grounds, a street-styled social football hub where you can customize and level up your player and engage in kickabouts, minigames, and club matches. Also, Ted Lasso and AFC Richmond are back!

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Minecraft Dungeons 2

Release date: Sep. 29

Minecraft’s Diablo-lite series returns — a co-op dungeon crawler for up to four players with loads of mobs and loot. Everything’s much the same as the 2020 original but a bit better, including the art style, a jump ability, and, most importantly for a game like this, the loot. Armor is now split into four individual pieces (as in Minecraft proper) and there’s a new talisman slot, too, which means loads more stat-boosting affixes. Yum.