A Nintendo Switch 2 leak dropped on September 5, 2026 claims two franchises fans have wanted back for years are finally in motion: a brand-new Super Smash Bros. game and a revival of Nintendogs. The source is a YouTube commenter going by the handle “malo932,” and according to a report from VICE, the account has quietly built a track record that outpaces even veteran leakers on some Nintendo scoops. Neither Nintendo nor any of the games’ original developers have confirmed the claims, but the timing, the pattern of prior hits, and the specific phrasing used in the leak have set off a fresh wave of Nintendo switch 2 leak chatter just three days before two Nintendo Direct presentations aired on September 8 and 9.
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What Leaked: A New Super Smash Bros. Game for Switch 2
According to VICE’s September 5 report, malo932’s latest claim is that “a new Super Smash Bros. game is reportedly in development for Nintendo Switch 2.” The insider shared the detail in a string of YouTube comments rather than a formal video or podcast, responding directly to a fan who asked whether Nintendo might simply port Super Smash Bros. Ultimate to the new hardware. The answer, as quoted by VICE, was blunt: “No, a new Smash is in the works.” That single line rules out the most conservative outcome many fans expected, a Switch 2 remaster of the 2018 fighter, and instead points to a ground-up sequel.
VICE frames this as a meaningful distinction. Nintendo has a long habit of re-releasing its biggest Wii U and Switch 1 hits on new hardware, and Ultimate’s roster of more than 80 fighters would make a straightforward port tempting from a resource standpoint. Malo932’s claim, if accurate, suggests Nintendo and series director Masahiro Sakurai’s collaborators are instead planning a new entry from scratch, which would be the first true sequel since Ultimate arrived in December 2018.
The Nintendogs Tease Hidden in a “Woof Woof” Comment
The second half of the leak is stranger and, per VICE, almost went unnoticed. In an August YouTube comment that predates the September 5 report, malo932 wrote: “Cozy weird games are strong in Nintendo, and maybe another ‘forgotten’ cozy weird Nintendo series is coming back, barking. Wink wink, woof woof.” VICE’s writeup notes the insider never typed the word “Nintendogs” outright, but the barking references and repeated “woof woof” line left little room for alternate interpretation. The publication describes it as a tease that the DS-era pet simulation series “could finally be making a comeback” on Switch 2.
Nintendogs originally launched on the Nintendo DS in 2005 and became one of the console’s signature software hits, built around real-time pet care, training and the DS’s microphone and touch-screen features. It has not received a mainline sequel since the 3DS era’s Nintendogs + Cats, making any Switch 2 return the longest gap in the franchise’s history. No release window, feature list, or platform-specific mechanics were included in the leak, so the claim currently amounts to a single indirect comment rather than a scoped project description.
Who Is malo932? Tracing the Insider’s Track Record
VICE’s report is careful to note it does not know where malo932 gets information, but it lays out why the account has earned attention. The outlet states that malo932 leaked both The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake and a new Star Fox game for Switch 2 days before veteran insider NateTheHate reported the same titles through his podcast in March 2026. VICE also credits malo932 with leaking the two Nintendo Direct broadcasts scheduled for September 8 and 9 roughly a week before Nintendo made them official.
That claim lines up with earlier reporting. KitGuru, in a piece covering malo932’s history on the Nintendo Forecast YouTube channel, reported that the account had shared a list of roughly half a dozen Switch 2 titles that were later validated, prior to any official Nintendo confirmation. Lords of Gaming separately reported in March 2026 that a Nintendo Forecast video comment from malo932 matched details NateTheHate published on his podcast about 14 hours later, covering a summer 2026 Star Fox game, the Ocarina of Time remake, a new Switch Sports and a 3D Mario delay to 2027. VICE puts malo932’s overall hit count at more than five major Nintendo titles surfaced correctly over roughly the last six months.
Why the NateTheHate Comparison Matters
NateTheHate has been treated as one of gaming journalism’s more reliable Nintendo sources for several years, and his March 2026 podcast (reported by Lords of Gaming and KitGuru) is the basis for most of what the public currently expects from Nintendo’s 2026 slate. VICE’s framing, that malo932 posted overlapping information before Nate in at least two documented instances, is what elevates a random YouTube comment section into a story outlets are willing to run. It does not make the Smash Bros. or Nintendogs claims true, but it raises the odds worth tracking them.
The Full malo932 Leak List: Mario, Wario Land and Metroid
VICE’s September 5 report lists three additional projects malo932 claims are in development alongside the Smash Bros. and Nintendogs items: a new 3D Mario game reportedly targeting a 2027 launch, a new Wario Land game also possibly aimed at 2027, and a Super Metroid remake described in the leak as “close” to being finished. None of these carry confirmed release windows, platforms beyond Switch 2, or gameplay details in VICE’s reporting. The outlet is explicit that all of malo932’s claims, including Smash Bros. and Nintendogs, “should be taken with a major grain of salt until Nintendo makes an official announcement.”
That caveat matters for a nintendo switch 2 leak cycle that has produced a lot of noise in 2026. Fans searching for confirmation on any of these five titles will not find one from Nintendo as of this writing; everything traces back to a single anonymous commenter whose accuracy is inferred from timing coincidences rather than verified sourcing.
Inside the Two Nintendo Directs That Aired September 8 and 9
The Smash Bros. and Nintendogs leak arrived directly ahead of two Nintendo Direct broadcasts held September 8 and 9, 2026, tied in part to The Legend of Zelda’s 40th anniversary. Nintendo News reported on September 4 that a new Direct presentation would air the following week, and by September 6 the outlet’s own coverage carried the headline “Rumor: New Smash Bros. game on the way, Nintendogs returning, more,” independently corroborating VICE’s malo932 report rather than simply echoing it. Neither Direct’s published agenda named Smash Bros. or Nintendogs ahead of time, leaving the two broadcasts as the most direct venue where Nintendo could have addressed either rumor.
The stakes around these Directs are already high. Nintendo raised the Switch 2’s US price from $449.99 to $499.99 effective September 1, 2026, a move covered in Notebookcheck’s reporting on console sales softening in July. A confirmed new Smash Bros. entry, one of Nintendo’s most reliable system-sellers since the GameCube era, would give Nintendo a marquee answer to that price increase heading into the holiday quarter.
How This Fits Into Nintendo’s Broader Switch 2 2026-2027 Roadmap
Malo932’s claims do not exist in isolation. NateTheHate’s March 2026 podcast, as reported by Lords of Gaming and KitGuru, outlined a Switch 2 roadmap that includes a new Star Fox game targeting summer 2026, an Ocarina of Time remake aimed at the 2026 holiday season, Splatoon Raiders, Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave, Rhythm Heaven Groove, Switch 2 editions of Pikmin 4, and FromSoftware’s Duskbloods later in 2026, alongside a 3D Mario game pushed back to 2027. Notebookcheck reported on September 4 that a French retailer had accidentally leaked product listings for an Ocarina of Time remake Collector’s Edition under the SKU “NINSW2ZELDAOOT,” lending additional weight to that piece of the roadmap just a day before the Smash Bros. and Nintendogs story broke.
Layered against that backdrop, a new Smash Bros. entry and a Wario Land revival would round out 2027 into one of the most first-party-heavy years in Nintendo’s console history, assuming even half of the pipeline holds up. Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave already launched as the platform’s first true console exclusive, giving Nintendo a template for how it wants to use exclusives to justify the higher price point.
Historical Context: Smash Bros.’ Path From N64 to Switch 2
Super Smash Bros. has released a new mainline entry on every Nintendo console generation since its 1999 Nintendo 64 debut: Melee on GameCube in 2001, Brawl on Wii in 2008, the Wii U and 3DS pair in 2014, and Ultimate on the original Switch in December 2018. Ultimate remains in active support nearly eight years later; GameRant reported that a patch, version 13.0.5, shipped as recently as September 1, 2026, fixing an issue tied to invalid data sent during online battles. That a nearly decade-old fighter is still receiving bug fixes on the eve of a rumored true sequel underscores how long Nintendo has stretched the current generation’s flagship crossover title, and why fans reacted strongly to malo932’s claim that Ultimate itself is not simply being ported forward.
The gaps between mainline entries tell their own story. Nintendo shipped Melee just two years after the 1999 original, but the wait stretched to seven years before Brawl, six more years before the Wii U/3DS pair, and four years before Ultimate arrived in December 2018. A new entry landing anywhere close to the rumored 2027 window for 3D Mario would mark roughly eight to nine years since Ultimate, the longest gap between mainline Smash Bros. releases in the franchise’s history, which helps explain why Nintendo has kept patching an eight-year-old fighter rather than let it go quiet while a successor is built.
Super Smash Bros. Mainline Releases at a Glance
| Entry | Console | Year | Gap From Prior Entry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Super Smash Bros. | Nintendo 64 | 1999 | Franchise debut |
| Super Smash Bros. Melee | GameCube | 2001 | 2 years |
| Super Smash Bros. Brawl | Wii | 2008 | 7 years |
| Super Smash Bros. for Wii U / 3DS | Wii U, Nintendo 3DS | 2014 | 6 years |
| Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | Nintendo Switch | 2018 | 4 years |
| New Super Smash Bros. (rumored) | Nintendo Switch 2 | Unconfirmed | 8+ years and counting |
Nintendogs’ Legacy and Why a Revival Makes Sense Now
Nintendogs helped define the Nintendo DS’s identity in 2005 as one of the console’s most recognizable pack-in-adjacent hits, built specifically around the dual-screen hardware’s touch and voice features. Its last mainline outing arrived on 3DS as Nintendogs + Cats, meaning the series has gone longer without a new entry than almost any other Nintendo franchise still considered active. Switch 2’s hardware, with its improved cameras, HD Rumble successor, and mouse-mode Joy-Con 2 controls, gives Nintendo new interaction options a Nintendogs sequel could plausibly use, which is part of why VICE’s framing of the leak, however indirect the original comment was, generated real engagement rather than being dismissed outright.
Judged purely on elapsed time, Nintendogs is overdue by Nintendo’s own standards. The original three versions launched on Nintendo DS in 2005 and sold well enough to become one of the platform’s defining pack-in-style hits; the franchise’s only other mainline step, Nintendogs + Cats, arrived during the 3DS era and added the ability to raise cats alongside dogs, but no numbered sequel or Switch-era entry has followed since. That leaves Nintendogs as one of the only Nintendo franchises with confirmed commercial success on two separate handheld generations to sit out both Switch and Switch 2’s early years entirely, which is part of why a single indirect YouTube comment about barking was enough to generate a full VICE report.
Nintendogs Franchise at a Glance
| Release | Platform | Era | Notable Feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nintendogs (3 original versions) | Nintendo DS | 2005 | Built around the DS microphone and touch screen |
| Nintendogs + Cats | Nintendo 3DS | 3DS era | Added cats alongside dogs |
| New Nintendogs (rumored) | Nintendo Switch 2 | Unconfirmed | Indirectly teased by malo932, per VICE’s Sept. 5, 2026 report |
Market Impact: What New Smash Bros. and Nintendogs Titles Could Mean for Switch 2
Nintendo’s Switch 2 hardware sales have shown signs of cooling. Separate reporting found Switch 2 unit sales sinking as much as 58% year over year in certain US dollar comparisons even as the console outpaced PS5 in total dollar volume, and Switch 2 has passed 23.68 million units sold worldwide behind its first true console exclusive. Against that backdrop, a confirmed new Smash Bros. entry carries outsized weight: Ultimate is widely regarded as one of the best-selling fighting games of all time and one of the strongest hardware attach titles Nintendo has ever shipped. A true sequel, rather than a port, would give Nintendo a flagship system-seller heading into the critical 2027 window when 3D Mario is rumored to arrive.
A Nintendogs revival plays a different role. It is not a system-seller on Smash Bros.’ scale, but it targets the casual and family buyer segment that made the original DS a mainstream phenomenon well beyond the traditional gaming audience. Bringing that audience back alongside more hardcore-facing exclusives like Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave, the recently released Final Fantasy Resonance demo, and a rumored Duskbloods would let Nintendo pursue both ends of the Switch 2 buyer spectrum simultaneously, which is precisely the strategy that made the original Switch and DS platforms commercial outliers compared to competing hardware.
The numbers underline why Nintendo has incentive to move quickly. A jump from $449.99 to $499.99 is a $50 increase on the Switch 2’s US price, and pairing a price hike with a unit-sales decline as steep as 58% year over year in some dollar-based comparisons is the kind of combination that typically pushes a platform holder toward system-selling exclusives rather than more price-sensitive experiments. With more than 23.68 million Switch 2 units already in homes worldwide, even a modest attach-rate bump from a new Smash Bros. entry would translate into meaningful software revenue, which is likely part of why a rumor with zero official confirmation has generated this much coverage in a single week.
Competitive Comparison: Nintendo’s Leak Culture vs. Sony and Microsoft
Nintendo’s leak ecosystem looks distinct from its two major console rivals. Sony’s biggest recent leaks have tended to come from large-scale data breaches or retail listing slips rather than long-running insiders with an established public track record. Microsoft’s Xbox division, by contrast, has leaned into planned reveals and has faced its own leak cycles tied to court disclosures and internal document dumps rather than anonymous social accounts. Nintendo’s situation is closer to a hybrid: official information stays unusually tightly controlled around Directs, which is exactly why a single accurate YouTube commenter like malo932 or a veteran podcast insider like NateTheHate can generate outsized attention. The tighter the official channel, the more oxygen unofficial channels get, and Nintendo’s famously locked-down PR approach has made it fertile ground for this specific style of leak culture for over a decade.
The differences show up clearly once the leak patterns are lined up side by side. Nintendo’s information tends to leak through individuals who build a reputation comment by comment or podcast episode by episode, which is why a single YouTube commenter can move a news cycle the way malo932 has. Sony and Microsoft’s biggest leaks, by contrast, more often come from systemic exposure, entire troves of documents or listings surfacing at once, rather than one person’s accumulated credibility.
Leak Channels Compared
| Company | How Major Leaks Typically Surface | Official Channel for Confirmation |
|---|---|---|
| Nintendo | Long-running anonymous insiders and podcast leakers, e.g. malo932 and NateTheHate | Nintendo Direct broadcasts |
| Sony | Large-scale data breaches or retail listing slips | PlayStation blog posts and showcases |
| Microsoft | Court disclosures and internal document dumps tied to legal proceedings | Xbox showcases and press statements |
Malo932’s Leak Scorecard
| Claimed Leak | What malo932 Said | Current Status |
|---|---|---|
| Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake | In development for Switch 2 | Corroborated by NateTheHate days later; retailer SKU leak reported by Notebookcheck (Sept. 4, 2026) |
| Star Fox (new entry) | Targeting Switch 2 | Matched NateTheHate’s March 2026 podcast roadmap per Lords of Gaming |
| Two Nintendo Directs | Airing September 8 and 9 | Confirmed by Nintendo roughly a week after the claim, per VICE |
| New Super Smash Bros. game | “No, a new Smash is in the works” | Unconfirmed by Nintendo as of September 6, 2026 |
| Nintendogs revival | Indirect “barking,” “woof woof” tease | Unconfirmed by Nintendo as of September 6, 2026 |
| 3D Mario | Targeting 2027 | Aligns with NateTheHate’s separately reported 2027 timeline |
| Wario Land (new entry) | Possibly targeting 2027 | Unconfirmed by Nintendo as of September 6, 2026 |
| Super Metroid remake | Described as “close” to finished | Unconfirmed by Nintendo as of September 6, 2026 |
Nintendo’s Rumored Switch 2 Release Slate, 2026-2027
| Title | Rumored Window | Primary Source |
|---|---|---|
| Star Fox (new entry) | Summer 2026 | NateTheHate podcast, via Lords of Gaming |
| The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake | Holiday season 2026 | NateTheHate podcast; Notebookcheck retailer SKU leak |
| Splatoon Raiders | Around summer 2026 | NateTheHate podcast, via KitGuru |
| Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave | Around summer 2026 (released as Switch 2 exclusive) | NateTheHate podcast, via KitGuru |
| Rhythm Heaven Groove | Around summer 2026 | NateTheHate podcast, via KitGuru |
| Duskbloods (FromSoftware) | Later 2026 | NateTheHate podcast, via KitGuru |
| New Super Smash Bros. game | Unspecified | malo932, via VICE (Sept. 5, 2026) |
| Nintendogs revival | Unspecified | malo932, via VICE (Sept. 5, 2026) |
| 3D Mario | 2027 | malo932 and NateTheHate, via VICE and KitGuru |
Predictions: What Happens Next With This Nintendo Switch 2 Leak
- The September 8-9 Directs will not confirm Smash Bros. or Nintendogs outright. Nintendo has historically avoided validating unofficial leaks on the same broadcasts where the leak first drew attention, preferring to let news cycles cool first.
- A formal Smash Bros. announcement, if it comes, is more likely in 2027. Given 3D Mario is already rumored for 2027 and Nintendo tends to space flagship reveals apart, a Smash Bros. reveal alongside Mario in the same year would be unusual scheduling for the company.
- Nintendogs, if real, will likely be positioned as a lower-key eShop or mid-tier release rather than a flagship Direct centerpiece, consistent with how Nintendo has handled other legacy-IP revivals in recent years.
- malo932’s public profile will keep growing regardless of whether these two specific claims land. The account’s track record on Directs, Zelda, and Star Fox already gives outlets like VICE and Nintendo News reason to keep covering future comments.
- Expect more retailer-driven corroboration before Nintendo speaks. The pattern seen with the Ocarina of Time remake SKU leak reported by Notebookcheck suggests retail listings, not official statements, will likely be the next confirmation point for any of malo932’s claims.
What to Watch For Before Nintendo Comments
For readers tracking this nintendo switch 2 leak, the clearest tell is whether Nintendo addresses either rumor in a future Direct or press release; the two September broadcasts aired without either title on their published agendas, which leaves the door open rather than closed. A second signal worth watching is retailer listings; the same kind of accidental SKU leak that surfaced the Ocarina of Time remake’s Collector’s Edition through a French retailer could just as easily expose a new Smash Bros. box art or Nintendogs packaging months before an official reveal. Until either of those things happens, both claims remain sourced entirely to a single anonymous YouTube account, however strong its recent hit rate has been. For ongoing coverage of Switch 2 hardware and software news, see our gaming hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who leaked the new Super Smash Bros. and Nintendogs games for Switch 2?
A YouTube commenter using the handle malo932 posted the claims, first reported by VICE on September 5, 2026. Nintendo has not confirmed either title.
Is Nintendo porting Super Smash Bros. Ultimate to Switch 2?
According to the leak reported by VICE, no. Malo932 stated directly, “No, a new Smash is in the works,” indicating an entirely new entry rather than a port of the 2018 title.
What exactly did the leak say about Nintendogs?
The insider never named Nintendogs directly. VICE reported the comment referenced a “forgotten” cozy Nintendo series “coming back, barking,” with repeated “woof woof” phrasing interpreted as an indirect Nintendogs tease.
Why do people trust malo932’s claims?
VICE reports the account correctly surfaced the Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake and Star Fox leaks before insider NateTheHate’s own reporting, and also leaked the September 8-9 Nintendo Directs roughly a week before Nintendo announced them.
Did Nintendo confirm these leaks during the September Nintendo Directs?
Neither Smash Bros. nor Nintendogs appeared on the publicly released agenda for either broadcast, and Nintendo had not separately confirmed either title as of VICE’s September 5, 2026 report.
What other games has malo932 claimed are in development?
Per VICE, the account has also claimed a 3D Mario game and a new Wario Land game are targeting 2027, and that a Super Metroid remake is “close” to being finished.
When did Nintendogs last get a new mainline game?
Nintendogs debuted on the Nintendo DS in 2005. Its most recent mainline release was Nintendogs + Cats on 3DS, making any Switch 2 entry the longest gap between mainline releases in the franchise’s history.
How does this leak fit into Nintendo’s broader 2026-2027 lineup?
It follows a roadmap reported via NateTheHate’s podcast (covered by Lords of Gaming and KitGuru) that already includes a new Star Fox game, an Ocarina of Time remake, Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave, and a 3D Mario title pushed to 2027, positioning Smash Bros. and Nintendogs as potential additions to an already dense Switch 2 release calendar.
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