Nintendo announced Nintendo Switch Sports Resort during its Nintendo Direct event on August 29, 2026, as an exclusive motion-control sports game for its upcoming Switch 2 console [1, 2]. The game will launch on October 22, 2026 [1, 2].
The title features 12 sports, mixing returning favorites with new activities. Sports returning from previous Nintendo sports games include tennis, volleyball, basketball, bowling, golf, and boxing [1, 2]. New sports added are thumb wrestling, skateboarding, table tennis, archery, power cruising (jetski), and flying a prop plane, alongside a jump rope minigame [1, 2].
Unique among the lineup, thumb wrestling requires players to hold the Joy-Con vertically, tilt it side to side, and use a shoulder button to trap the opponent’s thumb. An Engadget report described thumb wrestling as "by far the most unusual activity — I hesitate to call it a sport — in the mix" [2].
These sports build on Nintendo’s legacy with motion-controlled sports games. The original Wii Sports, released in 2006, became one of the best-selling games of all time with over 82 million copies sold [1]. Wii Sports Resort followed in 2009, adding 10 new sports and selling 33 million copies [1]. Nintendo Switch Sports (2022) offered volleyball, tennis, badminton, soccer, basketball, chambara, bowling, and golf post-launch, selling over 18 million copies [1].
Nintendo Switch Sports Resort aims to continue this tradition by leveraging the Switch 2’s enhanced capabilities and new control schemes. Fans can expect its release worldwide on October 22, 2026, marking the first major sports game announcement for the new console [1, 2].
