Reports have surfaced online that a number of major first-party Switch games may be going out of print, sparking discussion about Nintendo’s potential plans in the near future.

These reports were initially highlighted by the Nintendeal Twitter account, which published a string of posts mentioning several major physical Switch releasese going out of stock at many online retailers, including Metroid Dread, Paper Mario: Origami King, and Pikmin 3 Deluxe.

A thread on ResetEra later compiled a more expanded list of games, mostly sourced from Amazon listings. Nintendeal notes that this list might be a bit blown out of proportion, as they do not seem to be as scarcely available as the ones they originally highlighted:

• Paper Mario: The Origami King
• Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
• The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (2019)
• Pikmin 3 Deluxe
• Metroid Dread
• Kirby Star Allies
• Xenoblade Chronicles 2
• New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
• Fire Emblem: Three Houses
• Fire Emblem: Engage
• Yoshi’s Crafted World
• WarioWare: Get it Together!
• Nintendo Switch Sports
• Super Mario Odyssey
• Splatoon 2
• Super Mario Maker 2
• Mario Strikers: Battle League

Although it is not uncommon for older Switch games to go out of print, some games on the list like Fire Emblem: Engage launched relatively recently, which has raised some eyebrows. Some fans believe this is marking the return of the Nintendo Selects line, whereby these games will be reprinted with an added label marking them as best-selling titles with a slightly lower price-point.

Other fans have taken the speculation a step further, believing that this is another sign that the successor to the Switch is on the horizon, as Nintendo typically winds down production for physical releases when a console is reaching the end of its life-cycle and its successor is on the way.

Whatever the case, if these reports of reduced stock are true, fans interesting in physical media may wish to get their hands on any titles they have been holding out on before its too late. Stay tuned for more updates as they come.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments.