Nintendo plans to go into the summer swinging.
The Japanese game company revealed during its Direct presentation today that its fighting game Arms will release on June 16 for the Nintendo Switch. Nintendo revealed Arms earlier in the year. It features characters with extendable arms (hence the name). Players can use the Switch’s motion-based Joy-Con controllers to fight, but they can also use traditional controls.
While Nintendo often relies on its table of familiar brands, Arms is a new franchise. If it’s a hit, it could be the start of another series for the game maker. The last time Nintendo made a big deal about debuting a new franchise was with Splatoon, which was a hit for the Wii U when it came out in 2015. That team-based shooter is now getting a sequel for the Switch on July 21.
Its position as a relatively early Switch game is also important. Early adopters are looking for new games to buy, and many will pay extra attention to any release from Nintendo (which has a reputation for making strong first-party software).