Nintendo "don't like what's happening" with Switch 2 leaks, former marketing lead suspects, but it won't affect plans: "A lot of this is going to be in the rear-view mirror"

Photo of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom OLED Switch sitting on top of the LCD Switch.
(Image credit: Future)

The Nintendo Switch 2 leaks, real or not, have been steadily ramping up in recent days. Speculation for the Big N's next big console hybrid is at an all-time high as mock-ups have flooded the internet and tech show CES 2025 - though at least one accessory maker did backtrack and confirm its own mock-ups were based on online leaks. But one former Nintendo marketing lead speculates that the company won't let internet rumblings affect its plans.

Nintendo of America's former director of social media marketing and original content Kit Ellis - also one half of the much-loved and now-defunct Nintendo Minute YouTube series - gave his thoughts on the recent ongoings in a recent Patreon video.

"Something that we always try to impart is Nintendo's value of the long-term plan rather than a short-term opportunity, and them changing their date to announce the Switch [2] now, that's reacting to a short-term thing that is happening," Ellis explained. "A good question is like, is what's happening now going to hurt the next seven years of the Switch 2, or however many years that generation lasts? And I think if you look at it, no, it's probably not."

"It's not a great time for them now, it's an uncomfortable time for them now, they don't like what's happening, but once they announce this thing, and show games, and they're off to the races, and they're sharing their information... a lot of this is going to be in the rear-view mirror," he continued, before noting that "the most important thing" is that no Switch 2 games have leaked yet. But Nintendo probably doesn't need to worry about that because its first-party games "are not going out to a factory in China."

Either way, we won't need to wait too much longer to see what the console actually looks like. Ellis notes that Nintendo might want to avoid the US President's Inauguration next week, but aside from that news event, it has ample opportunity this month to formally show off its new console. 

New Super Mario Bros. Wii speedrunner gets AGDQ’s standing ovation by playing the entire soundtrack on piano while beating the game with controllers strapped to his body.  

Freelance contributor

Kaan freelances for various websites including Rock Paper Shotgun, Eurogamer, and this one, Gamesradar. He particularly enjoys writing about spooky indies, throwback RPGs, and anything that's vaguely silly. Also has an English Literature and Film Studies degree that he'll soon forget.

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