Get ready to go bananas! Nintendo just dropped a surprise announcement that’s sure to get the jungle drums beating. This Wednesday, June 18, we’re getting a brand new Nintendo Direct, and it’s all about DK’s next big adventure. The company has officially confirmed a Donkey Kong Bananza Direct presentation, promising a dedicated look at the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive. The news first broke on the Nintendo Today app, signaling a new trend for the company’s big announcements before they hit wider social media.
The livestream is set to kick off at 6 a.m. PT / 9 a.m. ET / 2 p.m. BST / 3 p.m. CEST and will run for “roughly 15 minutes.” While that’s not a massive deep dive, it’s a solid chunk of time dedicated solely to what could be the Switch 2’s next system-seller.
What to Expect from the Donkey Kong Bananza Direct
So, what’s on the agenda? Nintendo says the presentation will feature “information about the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 game,” and we’re expecting a heavy dose of new gameplay. In Donkey Kong Bananza, players guide DK through a vast underground world on a quest to snag Golden Bananas before the mysterious VoidCo can get their hands on them.
The core of the game sounds like pure, chaotic fun. Promising an adventure “full of mayhem, surprises and bananas,” the big hook is the destructible environment. You can crash, bash, and climb through just about anything, even tearing off chunks of the world to use as weapons. The more you demolish, the more secrets you uncover.
Let’s be real, after the fantastic launch of Mario Kart World, the Switch 2 lineup has felt a little light on brand-new, first-party exclusives for some players. With many day-one titles being ports or upgrades, Donkey Kong Bananza has a lot riding on it. This week’s Donkey Kong Bananza Direct is the perfect chance for Nintendo to show us why this 3D adventure is a must-buy.
A Closer Look at the Gameplay Potential
There’s still plenty we don’t know, which makes this Donkey Kong Bananza Direct even more exciting. Wccftech’s Nathan Birch went hands-on with a preview build over two months ago and came away intrigued by the game’s core mechanics.
He noted, “I spent most of my time with Donkey Kong Bananza thinking about the possibilities presented by its mechanics… There’s a lot of potential here, and it seems likely the demo I played only showed a portion of DK’s full bunch of abilities.”
Hopefully, Wednesday’s showcase will give us a glimpse of that deeper potential, perhaps showing off some of the advanced puzzles and environmental manipulation that the core concept promises.
Release Date and Pre-Order
Donkey Kong Bananza is scheduled to crash onto the Nintendo Switch 2 both physically and on the Nintendo eShop worldwide on July 17, 2025. If you’re ready to lock in your copy, pre-orders are already live.
- Pre-order Donkey Kong Bananza for $70 at Nintendo
- Pre-order Donkey Kong Bananza for $70 at Walmart
- Pre-order Donkey Kong Bananza for $70 at Best Buy
- Pre-order Donkey Kong Bananza for $70 at Target
We’ll be tuning in and covering every single reveal from the Donkey Kong Bananza Direct this Wednesday. Be sure to check back here at GamingNewsHQ.com for a full breakdown of all the news and new footage!
