Here’s how you can play Nintendo’s secret online Switch game this month

Nintendo has announced a second playtest for its mysterious unannounced Switch game, but it’s not easy to join the beta.

Between Donkey Kong Bananza and the Switch 2 launch, you might have forgotten about Nintendo’s weird playtest last year, for a secret online Switch game.

Nintendo tried to keep it under wraps by asking invited players to not ‘discuss or disclose content’ in the Nintendo Switch Online: Playtest Program, but inevitably details managed to leak within minutes.

While screenshots have largely been nuked from existence by Nintendo’s lawyers (so we can’t show them here), the game appears to function like a social MMO comparable to Miiverse, where you work with players to develop a planet via farmed resources.

If you didn’t get a chance to try it out the first time round, Nintendo has announced another playtest for later this month.

How to register for the Nintendo Switch Online: Playtest Program

The next playtest will take place from Tuesday, July 29 at 2am BST to Monday, August 11 at 2am BST in the UK. You can register to take part through Nintendo’s website here.

The process of creating an application opens from Friday, July 18, 2025 at 11pm BST, but you’ll be able to officially apply starting from 4pm BST on Monday, July 21, 2025.

However, anyone looking to register will need to meet several requirements. Firstly, you must have an active Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription as of Thursday, July 17 at 11pm BST, so if you’re not subscribed already you’re unfortunately not eligible.

Those looking to register also need to be at least 18 years old and have a Nintendo Account registered in one of the following countries: the UK, Japan, the US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Canada, Brazil, or Mexico.

According to Nintendo, applicants for the test will be chosen on a first-come-first-serve basis in the UK, so you’ll have to be ready as soon as it goes live to be in with a chance. The website notes: ‘This playtest is expected to accept as many as 40,000 participants worldwide!’

Nintendo has confirmed this is a playtest for the same game as before, but it’s unclear if it will be exactly the same demo. If you’re successful, you’ll need to download the software to your Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Switch 2, with the previous playtest taking up 2.2GB.

Just like before, Nintendo is asking anyone selected to not share any details about the test with others – which of, course, certain people are going to completely ignore.

‘We request that you do not discuss or disclose content from either the Nintendo Switch Online: Playtest Program test software or website with others,’ read the guidelines on Nintendo’s website. ‘If you participate as a group, you may communicate and exchange information as long as it remains within the bounds of your group.’

In other words, don’t even think about mentioning this playtest to Maureen at the bus stop. Know your bounds.

It’s still unclear when this game could be released, or whether it will be a paid experience, but a Nintendo Direct is rumoured for later this month, so it could be mentioned then.

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