The dam holding back Nintendo Switch 2 secrets seems to have more holes than a block of Swiss cheese left out in a hailstorm. Just when you thought the floodgates might close after Joy-Con pics and alleged accessory prices washed ashore, another wave crashes in. This time, it’s a veritable treasure map pointing towards the holy grail: the games. Specifically, whispers suggesting heavyweight titles like Red Dead Redemption 2 and Tekken 8 might be gearing up for a portable debut on the next-gen console. Talk about aiming high, partner.

The latest leak, seemingly sprung from the digital shelves of French retailer FNAC (courtesy of Reddit user Future31), didn't just offer vague hints. Oh no. It presented a list of third-party publishers allegedly prepped to support the Switch 2 near launch. We're talking the big guns:

• Bandai Namco 🐉

• Square Enix ⚔️

• Bethesda 🧪

• Take-Two Interactive 🤠

• EA ⚽

• ...and several others ready to join the portable party.

But here's where the digital detective work gets spicy. While the FNAC listings themselves played coy, refusing to name specific titles, eagle-eyed sleuths weren't having it. Enter Twitter user Bouboune0, wielding the power of the EAN (European Article Number) like a forensic magnifying glass. Their discovery? The EAN for the newly discovered Take-Two Switch 2 listing (3615993699512) bears an uncanny resemblance to the EAN for the French Switch version of the first Red Dead Redemption (3615993696955). Coincidence? The internet collectively scoffed.

Bouboune0 didn't stop there. Applying the same logic:

• The Bandai Namco listing's EAN pattern allegedly matches up suspiciously well with... you guessed it, Tekken 8.

• And EA's? Pointing directly towards the inevitable next iteration of their football franchise (or whatever it's called this year).

Is this absolute, watertight, courtroom-proof confirmation? Well, no. Nintendo hasn't whispered a word, and Take-Two hasn't suddenly started herding digital cattle onto new hardware. But it's the strongest smoke signal we've seen yet. 🤔

This leak does more than just fuel wishlists; it throws gasoline on the raging bonfire of speculation about the Switch 2's power. Recent rumors pegged it somewhere near a PS4 Pro. Now, consider this: Red Dead Redemption 2 ran (beautifully, albeit demanding) on the base PS4. If the Switch 2 truly hits that rumored benchmark... well, suddenly a portable version of Rockstar's sprawling western epic doesn't seem like technological wizardry. It seems... plausible. Could Arthur Morgan truly ride again, this time in the palm of your hand? The sheer thought is enough to make any gamer's spurs jingle.

People Also Ask:

• Is the Switch 2 powerful enough for Red Dead Redemption 2? If the PS4 Pro power rumors hold true... maybe? It ran on the base PS4, so a competent port isn't impossible, but optimization would be key. Imagine the graphical downgrades needed for handheld mode though!

• Would a Tekken 8 port on Switch 2 be a big deal? Absolutely! Bringing a cutting-edge fighting game to a portable console would be a major coup, showing the hardware can handle fast-paced, visually intense modern titles. How would the online play hold up?

• Why are these leaks happening now? Retailers gearing up? Manufacturing chains? Disgruntled interns? The closer we get to the inevitable reveal, the harder it is to keep everything under wraps. Can Nintendo plug the leaks before the official announcement?

So, while we wait for the House of Mario to finally drop the curtain, the evidence mounts. The whispers grow louder. Could Rockstar's cowboy epic truly lasso its way onto portable hardware? Might the King of Iron Fist Tournament find a new arena on the go? The EAN codes suggest 'yes,' but only time, and Nintendo's official word, will tell. One thing's for sure: the hype train for the Switch 2 just hit nitro.