Nintendo’s line of collectible amiibo figures are quirky little things. For the past decade, the Wii U and Nintendo Switch have offered a relatively inexpensive way to purchase official Nintendo-themed merchandise, but also served as a way to unlock things like cosmetics and gameplay features in the best Nintendo Switch games.
However, as we get closer to the official Nintendo Switch 2 reveal, amiibo is one aspect that hasn’t really been touched upon. And indeed, they have been largely overshadowed by the relentless Nintendo Switch 2 leaks and rumor mill. Furthermore, I feel like the novelty of these collectibles has long since worn off, and the compatibility of the figures with games has declined in recent years.
I wonder what Nintendo’s plans for amiibo are for the fresh console – if any. They were no longer a high priority, as only a few characters appeared last year, and there are currently no plans for 2025. Can we expect a similarly tardy decline throughout the Nintendo Switch 2’s lifecycle? or will Nintendo cease production altogether? Let’s talk about it.
A case for amiibo
Let’s start with some potentially positive news. Nintendo has confirmed that the Switch successor will be backwards compatible with original Nintendo Switch games. As such, it’s reasonable to assume that the Nintendo Switch 2 will feature NFC (near field communication) for scanning existing amiibo figures. Otherwise, amiibo features for games like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Pluto 3 AND The fire emblem engages probably won’t work.
That would of course be very good. Half the appeal of amiibo figures are the accessories that can be unlocked in certain games – even if in most cases it comes down to a few minor cosmetics or items. However, this means that this aspect of amiibo figures will not become obsolete, especially since many gamers will be trading in their senior Switch consoles to raise their funds for the fresh system.
Coming back to the backward compatibility aspect, this is what primarily leads me to believe that Nintendo will not be abandoning amiibo in favor of the Switch 2. Simply because without an NFC reader, the unique advantage of amiibo becomes completely redundant. Sure, they are also collectible figures, but they are also intended to serve some form of gameplay.
High supply
I believe that overall amiibo releases will be much smaller, and we’ve already seen that over the last few years. In 2024, only seven amiibo figures were released. That’s two The Xenoblade Chronicles 3, four for Pluto 3, and the release of an amiibo of Sora based on his appearance as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
It’s also worth noting that these amiibo were released long after the respective games or appearances were released. The The Xenoblade Chronicles 3 The amiibo premiered in January 2024, approximately a year and a half from the game’s original release date. Sora’s amiibo was released in February, almost two and a half years after his Break debut. Then there it is Pluto 3 September’s amiibo, which arrived two years after that game’s original release and nearly seven months after the Side Order DLC expansion. Suffice it to say that amiibo releases weren’t as current as they once were.
And this is not the only problem that has emerged over the last few years. Amiibo has always struggled with major supply and demand issues, and even the numbers released alongside their respective games – such as those for The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD – were disturbingly sporadic. Nintendo’s seeming reluctance to fight back against scalpers hasn’t helped in this regard either.
There is therefore a chance that the costs of producing amiibo figures – from development to supply chains – potentially outweighed the return on investment for Nintendo. I don’t think this means the company will stop producing amiibo altogether, but I’m willing to bet they’ll be restricted overall. Unless we get a fresh one Super Smash Bros. title for the Nintendo Switch 2, and in that case there may be an incentive to release a vast, fresh batch of figures for all of the fighters featured in that game if that happens.
Closing your thoughts
So should Nintendo abandon amiibo in favor of Switch 2? No, I don’t think so, and I wouldn’t want amiibo to suddenly become completely irrelevant. Ultimately, amiibo are still very cute little collectibles that can provide Nintendo fans with the opportunity to get their hands on official merchandise at relatively reasonable prices.
That said, there are a number of improvements Nintendo could implement to make obtaining amiibo figures much easier. In this case, a more relaxed release schedule where quality over quantity is necessary. I’d also love to see Nintendo combat scalpers in a more significant way, potentially by limiting amiibo stock to its own store and putting a challenging cap on how many of a single figure a person can purchase.
It’s true that amiibo isn’t at the top of most fans’ wish lists for the Nintendo Switch 2. Most of them, of course, focus on the performance, feature, and game improvements we can expect to see at launch. However, I still think there is a place for amiibo on the next generation of consoles, and I hope they continue to be supported to some extent on the Nintendo Switch 2.
