Nintendo locked in a July 2 release date for Rhythm Heaven Groove, the upcoming Switch exclusive that marks the franchise's return after more than a decade away. The announcement came via Nintendo's official channels on Wednesday and immediately lent credibility to a substantial leak from last month that has proven remarkably accurate so far.
The leak, which detailed Nintendo's 2026 roadmap, had predicted a summer window for the rhythm game. Its specificity on Groove's timing has since prompted observers to take its other claims seriously. Among them: a Star Fox reboot arriving this month, a Zelda: Ocarina of Time port launching this Christmas, and multiple summer releases including Splatoon Raiders and Fire Emblem: Fortune Weave.
Nintendo first teased Groove during a Direct presentation last March. This latest entry represents the fifth game in the beloved series and the first mainline installment since Rhythm Heaven Megamix shipped for 3DS in 2012. The franchise has remained dormant for consumers in that span, though Nintendo has occasionally referenced it in broader announcements.
A fresh trailer released today showcases one of the game's minigames: a vegetable-chopping scenario where players synchronize button presses to a beat while a cat observes from the sidelines. The visuals pull directly from the cartoony aesthetic that defined earlier Rhythm Heaven titles, a notable shift from test footage shown previously. That earlier preview featured the same minigame but with a markedly different visual treatment.
Rhythm Heaven Groove will carry a $39.99 price tag on the Nintendo eShop for both digital and physical versions. Nintendo had signaled plans to abandon uniform pricing between physical and digital releases, but that policy applies only to Switch 2 exclusives. This title, arriving on both original Switch and the upcoming Switch 2 hardware, maintains the traditional approach.
The leaked information also mentioned rereleases of Pikmin 4 and Xenoblade 2 for Switch 2, along with a new entry in the Switch Sports series, though timing for that title remained vague. Nintendo's next major 3D Mario project apparently targets a 2027 window, according to the same source.
The company has remained silent on the leak itself and has not issued any official comment regarding the broader slate of unannounced titles.
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