Why RDR 2 for Switch 2 Isn’t Shown at Nintendo Direct

Two weeks ago, a Nintendo Direct presentation took place, and once again there was no announcement about the upcoming release of RDR 2 on Switch 2. Rumors of a port have been circulating since the beginning of the year, consistently tied to the newest version of the hybrid console. At first, the western was expected to be part of the launch lineup, but that didn’t happen. Later, reports surfaced suggesting the game would be released simultaneously on all current-gen consoles, including PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

Still, it seems we shouldn’t expect an announcement at Nintendo showcases of upcoming titles at all. Why? The answer comes from Reece Reilly, best known for his frequent conversations with video game developers on his YouTube channel Kiwi Talkz (we’ve already covered some of his interviews before: one, two).

I’ve seen this question pop up: why wasn’t RDR 2 in the Nintendo Direct? Well…

Rockstar and Nintendo’s relationship is the classic case of an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object.

Both companies are highly secretive, obsessive about quality, controlling, hate mods, take legal action unnecessarily, and don’t like playing second fiddle to anyone else.

Rockstar was never going to announce RDR 2 in a Nintendo Direct. Why? Because they don’t need to. Why would Rockstar pay to have their game announced in a Direct when they can do it on their own terms and avoid Nintendo’s strict demands? Rockstar didn’t announce L.A. Noire or RDR 1 in a Direct, and it will be the same with RDR 2. Rockstar will reveal it out of the blue, just like previous games on Switch.

This may be hard for Nintendo fans to accept, but Nintendo needs Rockstar far more than Rockstar needs them.

RDR 2 is coming. I’ve literally had eight developers tell me they worked on it, so just relax — it will arrive at some point.

It’s hard to disagree with the New Zealand interviewer. The recent case with the re-release of GTA: Trilogy only reinforces the idea that close cooperation between Rockstar Games and Nintendo is unlikely.

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