Nintendo Direct Mini Coming Today, Focused On Development and Publishing Partners

Nintendo will air a Nintendo Direct this afternoon, with the event offering the company's first "Partner Showcase" event.

According to Nintendo's Japanese Twitter account, the show is expected to run for 10 minutes, but given the company's relative silence in the wake of COVID-19, there's a good chance many fans will just be happy to hear something.

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Nintendo Direct Mini Coming Later Today

The event will be available on Nintendo's YouTube channel and will kick off at 3 PM BST.

Don't expect a wealth of new announcements though, as the company confirmed via Twitter that the event is focused on "a few updates on a small group of previously announced Nintendo Switch games".

Today at 3pm (UK time), we'll debut the first #NintendoDirectMini: Partner Showcase, a new series focused on titles from our development & publishing partners. We'll share a few updates on a small group of previously announced #NintendoSwitch games. pic.twitter.com/4ljZ8I0f3S

— Nintendo UK (@NintendoUK)

July 20, 2020

Since Animal Crossing: New Horizons launched in March, the company's release slate for the remainder of 2020 has been unclear. Paper Mario: The Origami King launched just last week and Min Min arrived in Smash, but first-party titles have been few and far between. Reports have stated that the company has struggled with the transition to working from home in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

While rumours continue to circulate about a Mario Remaster Collection, this would be the perfect opportunity to update fans on what to expect for the remainder of the year.

A focus on "development and publishing" partners doesn't mean we won't be seeing exclusives, either - now would be a great time to offer updates on the likes of No More Heroes 3 or Bayonetta 3.

Depending on Nintendo's definition of "partner", there's always an outside chance Metroid Prime 4 gets a mention, as its development continues at Retro Studios.

With new consoles from both Microsoft and Sony on the horizon, here's hoping Nintendo is able to regain some mindshare after a quiet few months.