Nintendo to host 45-minute Kirby Air Riders Direct for Switch 2

Nintendo has announced a 45-minute Direct dedicated to Kirby Air Riders, the forthcoming racing game for the Switch 2, set to stream in the early days of the week with Masahiro Sakurai at the helm as presenter. The broadcast is scheduled for Tuesday, August 19, and will offer an in-depth briefing on the sequel to the 2003 GameCube classic Kirby Air Ride. Officials have not disclosed a firm release date beyond a 2025 window, but the event signals an intensified push to showcase gameplay, modes, and progression for the star-themed racer.

Kirby Air Riders represents the first new project in years associated with Masahiro Sakurai, who directed the original Air Ride and later led Super Smash Bros. titles. The game is being developed as a collaboration between Sora Ltd., under Sakurai’s oversight, and Bandai Namco Studios. Production on the project began in earnest in 2023, following Sakurai’s completion of recent work on other Nintendo projects. The title was previously revealed in a Switch 2 Direct earlier this year, with Nintendo signaling a 2025 release window, but details have remained scarce as development continued.

The timing of the Direct follows a pointed message from...