Featured Image Credit: Nintendo
Topics: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, Super Mario
Nintendo gamers are hopeful following a new leak claiming that a 3D Mario game is set to be announced.
Although Super Mario’s 40th anniversary was last year, 2026 is still set to be a big year for the iconic Nintendo mascot.
There’s the upcoming Switch 2 version of Super Mario Bros. Wonder coming in Q2 2026, along with the release of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which I’m sure will be a massive hit with fans.
However, Nintendo hasn’t announced anything Mario-related for later on in the year. While I bet the company might be avoiding releasing anything in November so as not to clash with GTA VI, I can imagine we’ll hear more about 2026’s lineup of games at the next Nintendo Direct.
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An industry insider has now sparked hope for players wanting to see the next 3D Mario game, claiming that a Nintendo Direct set for February will reveal the Super Mario Odyssey successor.
According to French journalist BeeFun on X (formerly Twitter), the Nintendo Direct is allegedly set for 10 February, and will be “huge” as it features many upcoming games for 2026, including “a new 3D Mario”.
Within Nintendo, 3D Mario games are developed by a team known as Production Group No. 8, who also develop the Donkey Kong series.
Production Group No. 8 has developed some of the best Mario games to date, including both Super Mario Galaxy games, Super Mario 3D World, and Super Mario Odyssey. It also developed the much-loved Donkey Kong Bananza from last year.
Rumours have suggested that Group No. 8 was split in two during the development of Donkey Kong Bananza, with one half working on the Donkey Kong series while the other half produces a new 3D Super Mario game.
So, if this is true, it’s possible that a new 3D Mario game could be much further along than we thought, and we might expect it to be revealed sometime this year.
Super Mario Odyssey 2 is an obvious contender for what we want next from Nintendo, but allow me to suggest an alternative: Super Mario Galaxy 3.
I mean, we got the remastered collection of both Super Mario Galaxy games back in October, plus the movie also themed around the Galaxy series is coming out in April.
I believe a new Super Mario Galaxy game would do absolute stonks for Nintendo.