Switch 2 maintenance and Drag x Drive trailer send Nintendo Direct rumours into overdrive

Nintendo confirming scheduled Switch 2 maintenance to its eShop and recently releasing the Drag x Drive overview trailer have fuelled speculation that a Direct livestream could be imminent.

Nintendo usually hosts a Direct in June or July every year to give fans an update on what it's been working on and provide news on upcoming releases.

The company confirmed there will be a brief period of network downtime for the original Switch and Switch 2 for the eShop to update. This is happening on Thursday (31 July) from 7am BST (2am ET, 11pm PT on Wednesday 30 July) to 8.30am BST (3.30am ET, 12.30am PT on Thursday 31 July).

It's only lasting for 90 minutes but rumours of a Nintendo Direct happening in July have been fanned because of this.

And that's not all.

Adding further fuel to that fire is Nintendo has released an overview trailer for its upcoming Drag x Drive title.

That game is like a wheelchair basketball version of Rocket League where players control their character by using mouse controls to move the wheelchair.

The trailer is around eight minutes long which has led to speculation that because this is too long to be featured in its entirety in a Direct, Nintendo has chosen to upload it beforehand to build hype for it.

This all comes after renowned leaker NateTheHate recently claimed a Nintendo Direct was imminent, which was also corroborated by VGC (Video Games Chronicle).

Nintendo may choose to host a Direct given that it hasn't got too many upcoming first-party releases on the horizon; as well as Drag x Drive, there's the Switch 2 Edition of Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, Pokemon Legends: Z-A and Kirby Air Riders all coming later this year but that's about it at the moment.

That arguably isn't that much considering the Switch 2 launched at the start of June - so what better way to announce plans for the rest of the year and build on the success of the console launch than with a Direct?

A Nintendo Direct for July has not been officially confirmed.

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