Nintendo has revealed Kirby and the Forgotten Land, a sandbox entry in the pink character’s series, for Nintendo Switch during today’s new Nintendo Direct. As shown in the game’s announcement trailer, Kirby’s first post-apocalyptic adventure features open-world elements without ditching the pink hero’s cute aesthetic. It’s currently set to arrive on Switch sometime in spring of 2022 and will be available to purchase both digitally and physically. See your first official look at Kirby and the Forgotten Land in the Nintendo Direct trailer below.
The surprise project actually leaked earlier today, when Nintendo accidentally published information that revealed release plans and the name Kirby: Discovery. Though the full Kirby: Discovery reveal didn’t show up until much later and gave us a different name, many fans had a feeling that another Kirby-related game announcement could show up in the near future. While the last Kirby game, Kirby Fighters 2, launched last year, its multiplayer fighting game focus meant players were getting more of a smaller spinoff rather than a full-fledged entry. So, really, fans have been waiting for a proper continuation since Kirby Star Allies brought new abilities and friendly gameplay in 2018.
Still, though, Kirby and the Forgotten Land looks to be taking Nintendo’s round ability copier to new horizons when it launches sometime early next year. We’ll surely learn more before a release date announcement rolls around, so stay tuned for more updates.