45-Minute Nintendo Direct for Kirby Air Riders to Live Stream August 19

Nintendo has announced a 45-minute Direct dedicated to its upcoming game Kirby Air Riders. On Tuesday, August 19, the Kirby Air Riders Direct will be live-streamed at 9 AM ET/6 AM PT.

Confirmed via the Nintendo Today app, the live stream will include roughly 45 minutes of information on the unreleased Nintendo Switch 2 game. While the company hasn’t divulged exactly what the Direct will include, it has been announced that the live stream will be hosted by famed director Masahiro Sakurai.

Kirby Air Riders was first revealed during the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct earlier this year. Following the brief announcement, it was confirmed that the Kirby-centric racing game was being co-developed by Sora Ltd., with Sakurai overseeing production, and Bandai Namco.

In Kirby Air Riders, players will race on stars and compete against one another. Using the titular character’s signature abilities, players can absorb enemy powers to gain a competitive edge. The 45-minute Kirby Air Riders Direct will be a welcome showcase for the game, and will likely highlight gameplay mechanics, tracks, and more of what players can expect.

Additionally, we still don’t know when Kirby Air Riders will be released. The first look at the game ended with a stinger, announcing a 2025 windowed release. Nintendo may be confident in announcing a firmer release date.

Given the timing of the Direct, it’s also possible that Kirby Air Riders may be ready to be shown on the showroom floor of Gamecom, which is happening in Cologne, Germany, this week. Nintendo is confirmed to be in attendance, showcasing games like Metroid Prime 4. 

Kirby Air Riders is a long-awaited sequel to the 2003 game Kirby Air Ride for Nintendo’s GameCube console. It’s said that production began in 2023 following Sakurai’s time overseeing the production of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s DLC.