The first Nintendo GameCube game to hit the Nintendo Switch Online service in 2026 is a pillar of one of Nintendo’s top franchises, one with a new game releasing later this year.
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance is now playable for subscribers to Nintendo Switch Online as part of the Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics service, which is exclusive to the Nintendo Switch 2.
Fire Emblem Takes Center Stage in 2026
Released in 2005, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance is the sole game in the series released on the Nintendo GameCube. It’s also the first console game in the series to be released in the U.S. At the time, the game was received well critically. Since then, five more games have been released in the series. The game features Ike as the main character. He would go on to be a playable character in multiple Super Smash Bros. games.
Path of Radiance is the eighth Nintendo GameCube game to be made available on the Nintendo Switch Online service. However, unlike other releases such as F-Zero GX and Wario World, players know when the next game in the franchise will be coming to Nintendo Switch 2. Later this year, Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave will launch as a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive. That game was announced during the September 2025 Nintendo Direct. As of this writing, there is no official release date for the game.
For more Nintendo news, check out details on the upcoming Mario Tennis Fever game. Featuring 38 characters, the game will have the largest roster in series history.
How do you feel about Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance? Does the forthcoming Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave make you want to purchase a Nintendo Switch 2? Would you rather have a new Wario World? Sound off in our official Discord server. Also, don’t forget to sign up for our weekly newsletter.
