Nintendo is poised to have a very busy 2022. It’ll kick things off with the ambitiousPokemon Legends: Arceus,which turns a lot ofPokemonconventions on its head, and then it’ll have to serve up a long list of other games.Splatoon 3, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2,andBayonetta 3are all meant to release sometime next year, although more specific windows are largely unknown. That’s not the case for every upcoming game developed or published by Nintendo, though.Kirbyand the Forgotten Landis scheduled to release in spring 2022, meaningKirbyfans have only a few more months of waiting to do.
With spring approaching, Nintendo will likely announce the release date soon. There’s always the possibility thatKirby and the Forgotten Landwill get delayed, of course. Due to the strain that the COVID-19 pandemic has put on the game industry, delays have become unfortunately common. However, there’s a good sign that suggestsKirby and the Forgotten Landis actually pretty far along:it has an ESRB rating already. What’s more, since Nintendo is likely to kick off 2022 with a Nintendo Direct, it has a perfect opportunity to address the newestKirbygame’s release.
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Kirby’s Release Date Could Be Near
ESRB ratings are always good indicators for the status of a game. Getting this vital content rating is one of the last steps in the video game release process, which means the publication of an ESRB rating can herald when a game is getting close to launch. That’s why it’s great news thatKirby and the Forgotten Landgot an ESRB ratinglast November. The rating itself isn’t particularly remarkable—Kirby and the Forgotten Landis rated E10+ for cartoon violence—but the mere presence of a rating indicates thatForgotten Landis on track for its spring 2022 release date. If the game is on schedule and so far in development, then Nintendo can comfortably announce its release date soon.
It’s also important that there’s likely a great venue for aForgotten Landrelease date announcement on the way. Ever since it first started producing these regular news updates, Nintendo has formed a habit ofreleasing a Nintendo Direct every January or February. It makes sense to put out a Nintendo Direct around then since it allows Nintendo to set expectations for its upcoming projects in the new year. Now that Nintendo Directs are becoming commonplace again, it seems likely that there’ll be a Direct in the next month or so. That meansKirby and the Forgotten Land’s release date could be only weeks or even days away, should the game appear in the next Nintendo Direct.
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Kirby and the Forgotten Land’s Speedy Arrival
As mentioned, Nintendo has a lot of release dates to publicize right now. Fans are dying to knowwhenBreath of the Wild 2comes outandSplatoon 3is due for an update as well. These titles certainly could get a release date in the first Nintendo Direct of 2022, but their odds aren’t as good asForgotten Land’s. These games are largely mysteries, whileKirby and the Forgotten Landhas always operated with a spring 2022 release date and it has the privilege of an ESRB rating. The newKirbygame seems to be much closer to release than anything else Nintendo has planned for 2022.
Regardless of whether or notKirby and the Forgotten Land’s release dateis right around the corner, fans should remain optimistic that it’ll get its promised spring 2022 release date. Since Nintendo announced the game last September with a spring release window ready to go, it sounds likeKirby and the Forgotten Landhas been near completion for a while now, making a delay unlikely. Hopefully,Kirbyfans get to start the year strong with a prompt delivery of the new game’s release date, as well as the game itself.
Kirby and the Forgotten Landreleases in spring 2022 for Nintendo Switch.
