Forget Fire Emblem, Nintendo's Best New Exclusive Releases For Switch 2 In September

While its impact is certainly up for debate, I've been pretty happy with how the Switch 2 has turned out so far. It's assembled a solid array of first and third-party games, while ensuring that Nintendo fans don't miss out on as many third-party ports as they did last generation.

Those garish "cloud-based" ports are a thing of the past, and many modern classics are being ported directly to the Switch without compromise, like Cyberpunk 2077. Thankfully, some of those old cloud games are even coming to Switch 2 in the future as full releases, as is the case with the Resident Evil ​​​​​​series.

The exclusives for the Switch 2 are far from over, too. One is dropping in September, digitally and physically, and should tango directly with Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave, setting the stage for a packed month for Nintendo fans.

In early September, the Switch 2 is getting another exclusive in Orbitals. In a rare move, this third-party game isn't slated for PC or any other platform right now, as it's a bona fide Switch 2 exclusive. As a puzzle action game, you'll play spacefarers who are trying to survive as a team, and the development team consists of co-op development veterans, including people who have worked on games at Hazelight like Split Fiction.

The game has a "retro anime" look, including cinematics hand-made by the team, and supports eight languages, including English and Japanese. Orbitals wears its anime influence on its sleeve, and many shows have been cited as inspiration, including Sailor Moon, Cowboy Bebop, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Dragon Ball/Dragon Ball Z, and Ranma.

The premise isn't only charming; it's something you don't see very often in any game: "Team up as Maki and Omura, two inseparable explorers with a whole lot more determination than experience. You’ll brave the perils of space in search of help for their crumbling station home, now trapped within a supernatural cosmic storm. Our duo must venture beyond the storm and into the unknown in a desperate bid to save their home. It’ll take brains, bravery, and teamwork to make it through."

The big thing about Orbitals is that it's an exclusively asymmetric co-op game that can be played locally through split-screen, through Nintendo Switch 2 GameShare, or via a "friend pass" system that lets another user download a version that can connect to the host.

In other words, only one person needs to own the game to play it together, whether that's locally or online. It's a fantastic perk that's been done before in the co-op space, but it's still appreciated in 2026, especially as studios look to monetize even further beyond MSRP.

Orbitals will launch on Switch 2 on September 3, 2026. It's currently a Switch 2 exclusive, and there are no plans to change that for now. Typically, we start to see exclusives like this trickle out within a year, but it's not guaranteed. For now, the Switch 2 has another great exclusive. The best part? If you want it physically, it doesn't have a Game Key card, as the entire game is on the cart.