The mysterious Nintendo Switch playtest has seemingly leaked, and it looks like a Minecraft meets MMO game in which players "develop" a planet together

Nintendo Switch ad showing Bowser and Bowser Jr, the latter playing on a Switch while the former watches with a surprised expression on his face — (Image credit: Nintendo)

After recruiting players to test a mystery "new feature" for Switch Online recently, Nintendo hasn't publicly revealed any details regarding it - however, some supposed leaks of the playtest have emerged and they point toward exciting possibilities.

With registration filling after just seven minutes, most excited fans didn't stand a chance at gaining access to the company's mysterious Playtest Program. It didn't take long for leaks to emerge from the lucky few who did get in, however, and it looks like Nintendo may have a new MMO of sorts up its sleeve. A post by Twitter user NintyPrime appears to share early screenshots of the playtest's details highlights as much, hinting toward a game reminiscent of Minecraft.

The post claims that the goal in Nintendo's unnamed project is to apparently "fully develop a massive, expansive planet by utilizing creativity and farmed resources." As players progress, they will "discover new lands, enemies, and resources that will become essential." While the crafting, gathering, and survival-y aspects of it all really remind me of Mojang's own creativity-inspiring gem, it also seems pretty unique with its heavier focus on more social features.

There's no telling what direction the playtest will take in the end, however - but I personally hope these leaks ring true as a planet-building MMO sounds brilliant. There seems to be an RPG-esque flair to it all, too, with a character you can "level up" and combat against cryptic "enemies."

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After spending years with her head in various fantastical realms' clouds, Anna studied English Literature and then Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh, going on to specialize in narrative design and video game journalism as a writer. She has written for various publications since her postgraduate studies, including Dexerto, Fanbyte, GameSpot, IGN, PCGamesN, and more. When she's not frantically trying to form words into coherent sentences, she's probably daydreaming about becoming a fairy druid and befriending every animal or she's spending a thousand (more) hours traversing the Underdark in Baldur's Gate 3. If you spot her away from her PC, you'll always find Anna with a fantasy book, a handheld video game console of some sort, and a Tamagotchi or two on hand.