Nintendo Switch Is Getting A Trial Of A Secret Game That Already Leaked Last Time It Tried This
Surely everyone will keep quiet about it this time.
Nintendo Switch Online subscribers are getting the chance to playtest an upcoming game at the end of July, in the second time this particular game has been shown off. Like last time, Nintendo isn’t saying specifically what the game is, simply calling it “a service for Nintendo Switch Online,” but it did clarify that it’s the same game, which leaked during the original test, despite both rounds asking players not to share any information about what they see.
The second round playtest will run from July 28 to August 10 and allow 40,000 players to participate, but you’ll need to be quick to get in. Outside of Japan, entries will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis. According to Nintendo’s website, you can start creating an application on July 18 at 6 p.m. Eastern, but you won’t be able to actually submit it until July 21 at 11 a.m. Eastern. That gives you the weekend to get the application in order before what will certainly be a frenzied rush to actually submit it in time. Playtesters also need to have an active subscription to Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, the membership tier that includes GameCube and Nintendo 64 games.
First-round playtesters expecting GameCube games were disappointed, though some did later come to Switch Online.
While Nintendo hasn’t provided any details about the game that’s being tested, potential testers do have a solid idea of what they’re getting into. Back in October 2024, Nintendo held an initial playtest for what it only described as a new online service, asking players to keep its content to themselves but not enforcing a non-disclosure agreement. Predictably, that didn’t happen, and some testers immediately began spreading screenshots and videos from the test online.
As it turns out, the mysterious “service” appears to be a massively multiplayer online game, most comparable to Minecraft or Roblox. Leaks from the game, which Nintendo was quick to have taken down for infringing its copyright, showed players in a freeform game where they were meant to work together to terraform an entire planet. Developing one small section at a time, players can unlock additional areas until the entire planet has been built up. The playtest also showed a social hub where players can interact freely while showing off customizable characters, including user-generated content. Dataminers also discovered that the game is seemingly being made by Nintendo’s Production Group No. 4, the developer behind the Labo cardboard accessory kits in 2018.
When players discovered exactly what the playtest was about, some were understandably disappointed. A Minecraft-like sandbox MMO isn’t exactly what anyone was asking for from Nintendo, nor does it seem to warrant the amount of secrecy built up around it. Before the playtest began, there was also some speculation that it would be a first look at GameCube games being added to Switch Online, so players took the actual reveal to mean that wasn’t happening at all — though of course they were added later anyway.
Drag x Drive is also getting a series of short playtests in August.
The game also faced some criticism for the shallowness of its interactions between players and, well, looking absolutely terrible, which is to be expected from a playtest. With the second round coming up, the inevitable avalanche of leaks to follow should show off how much or how little things have changed since then.
The latest playtest will allow 40,000 participants, four times the number allowed in the original test. While that means you have a much better chance of being selected this time around, spots are still likely to fill up almost instantly, so it’s as much a matter of luck as quick fingers.
Switch Online subscribers are also getting a shot at a much less restrictive online trial soon. Drag x Drive, the upcoming wheelchair basketball game for the Switch 2 is running several playtests in August, just ahead of its August 14 release. Playtest sessions will run from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Eastern and 8 p.m. to midnight Eastern on August 9, then again from noon to 4 p.m. Eastern on August 10. Drag x Drive is one of the biggest showcases of the Switch 2’s mouse mode, and while its playtest isn’t as exclusive, it may end up being a better time than whatever’s going on in Nintendo’s MMO anyway.
