Statistically, Super Mario is the most critically acclaimed franchise of all time with nine games breaking into Metacritic’s top 200 list. Nintendo seems to be very much aware of that and so far we’ve had a really strong past decade filled with Super Mario content.
Odyssey in particular has been a standout and fans across the globe are wondering whether Super Mario Odyssey 2 is on the table. Nothing official has popped up yet as you might be aware, but unofficially, some rumors say it’s closer than imagined.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Super Mario Odyssey 2 Status: Nintendo hasn’t officially confirmed a sequel to Odyssey.
- Alleged Leak: In 2019 a Nintendo storyboard was anonymously leaked on 4chan and it mentioned Super Mario Odyssey 2.
- Playable Luigi: The leaked documentation also discussed the possibility of Luigi being playable.
- Odyssey Sequel for the Switch 2: Keeping in view rumors of the Nintendo Switch successor releasing in Q1 2025, Mario Odyssey 2 might be a launch title for the new handheld.
- Record-breaking Sales: Odyssey has sold 27.65 million pieces since launch which makes a sequel look very likely.
Is Super Mario Odyssey 2 Happening?
Odyssey isn’t the latest Super Mario game to enter the fold, that would be 2023’s Super Mario Bros. Wonder. In the seven years that have passed since Super Mario Odyssey, Nintendo has only made two new games in the franchise: Wonder and Mario Maker 2. That said, Odyssey is still the last Mario game that was 3D and we haven’t heard a whisper about whether that format is returning any time soon.
While Nintendo hasn’t made any formal announcements for the 3D Mario-verse’s future, rumors and leaks have been cause for speculation amongst the fans.
Super Mario Odyssey 2 Was, or Still Is, in Development
Back in 2019, an anonymous user posted on 4chan about how they did an online survey for Nintendo’s unannounced games. The post claimed that there were at least three games Nintendo was developing: an online multiplayer Sonic game, a single-player Sonic game, and Super Mario Odyssey 2. The user also uploaded screenshots of the storyboards for the three titles which detailed gameplay mechanics, story beats, and much more.
At the time, this report’s credibility was questionable. But looking back at it now, five years later, it appears that it was legit. The single-player Sonic game the leak mentioned was set in the Starfall Islands, would be a free-roam action-adventure experience, have five unique regions, and have a new close-combat system. Nintendo would later announce Sonic Frontiers in 2021 and everything from the Starfall Islands setting to the open world was exactly the same as the leak had described, hence its legitimacy.
Since the 4chan post was indeed correct about Nintendo’s plan – up until 2019 at least – it’s worth mentioning what it had to say about Super Mario Odyssey 2. As per the leak, the Odyssey sequel would be an action-adventure game with 1-2 players supported in local or online co-op.
As opposed to simply Mario and Cappy being playable, Luigi, Bowler, Yoshi, and many other sidekicks would join the cast of Odyssey 2, whereas Bowser would once again serve as the antagonist. Furthermore, there would be at least 20 distinct locations and “hundreds of new puzzles, creatures, enemies, and side-quests”.
Before you get your hopes up, it appears as if Mario Odyssey 2 was still in the very early concept stage at the time of this leak. It’s been nearly five years since this post was made and we’ve heard nothing about the other multiplayer Sonic game it mentioned as well as Odyssey 2. Nintendo may have dropped them, but given Odyssey is the fifth best-selling Switch game at 27.65 million pieces sold, it would’ve been a hard one to pass on.
Super Mario Odyssey 2 Release Date?
Super Mario Odyssey entered development in 2013 and was released in 2017 which means it had a 4 year development cycle. If the 2019 leak is in fact true, then it’s already been more time in the oven for Super Mario Odyssey 2, so on one hand, it does look like the game might’ve been canned by Nintendo. However, there are two reasons why this time the situation is different.
For one, the COVID-19 pandemic delayed many games and Nintendo’s are definitely no exception. Secondly, it can also be argued that Super Mario Bros. Wonder was internally always scheduled to be released sometime before Odyssey 2 hit the market, so that could be another reason why an announcement is taking so long.
As for the Super Mario Odyssey 2 release date, we expect it to be in 2025. Besides the rationale above supporting our theory, there’s one more major reason why 2025 is as good a year as any for the sequel.
Super Mario Odyssey 2 Could Be A Launch Game For the Nintendo Switch 2
Though not official yet, endless reports have confirmed there is indeed a Nintendo Switch successor in development. Many reliable insiders have stated the Switch 2 will be unveiled in 2024 and released in Q1 2025. Provided 2025 is when the next Switch console comes out, you can bet it’ll be accompanied by a launch title everyone wants to get their hands on. In this case, that seems to be Super Mario Odyssey 2.
Nintendo’s also pretty quiet about their games. Odyssey was announced in January 2017 and it launched a couple of months later in October. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom launched a little over a year after its first official trailer was revealed in 2022. As for Wonder, it was released only 4 months after it was confirmed.
With the Nintendo Switch 2’s imminent reveal coming up, Super Mario Odyssey 2 being announced alongside it would be just perfect timing. After that, it’ll be a waiting game until Q1 2025 before we get both a new Switch and Mario Odyssey 2.