The enigmatic Nintendo Switch Online: Playtest Program is scheduled to return later this month, now compatible with the Switch 2.
Nintendo has confirmed this test will feature the "same service" shared with a limited group of fans in October 2024—previously accessible only on the original Switch.
While registration is open to all Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscribers, availability is restricted to just 40,000 players worldwide. Participants are again expected to keep test details confidential, though information from the secretive software was leaked online last year.
Applications to join the playtest—either individually or as a group—open today and can be submitted from Monday, July 21 through Wednesday, July 23. Selected participants will have access to the playtest from Tuesday, July 29 to Monday, August 11.
Applicants must be 18 or older and hold an active Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership linked to an account in the US, Canada, UK, Japan, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Brazil, or Mexico.
Nintendo’s application page reiterates the company's emphasis on confidentiality:
"Please do not discuss or share any content from the Nintendo Switch Online: Playtest Program software or website with others," Nintendo states. "Group participants may communicate and exchange information, provided it remains within the group."
We will perform another test in the #NintendoSwitchOnline: Playtest Program. From 8:00 AM PT on July 21st, Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack members can apply to participate on a first-come, first-served basis.
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) July 17, 2025
Find out more: https://t.co/xed7zzwzBb pic.twitter.com/JfnMRd9eoH
During last year’s test, Nintendo issued copyright strikes to remove screenshots of the confidential software from social media. However, traces of the playtest can still be found online with a quick search on platforms like Reddit.
So what exactly is being tested? Described as Nintendo’s take on Minecraft, the experimental game lets users pick up and arrange blocks to construct items within specific zones of a shared world alongside other players. Last year’s leaked gameplay footage appeared to be a work in progress, suggesting Nintendo aims to refine the concept through real player feedback and creativity.
Although this new test appears to involve the same software, it will be interesting to see what enhancements are included—especially if, or when, new footage emerges online.
