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Nintendo Confirms Public Demo for Its Secretive Switch 2 Exclusive Drag X Drive — but You’ll Need a Switch Online Subscription to Play

Switch 2 owners will be able to take upcoming Nintendo exclusive Drag x Drive for a test run next month — but only with an active Switch Online subscription.

This morning, Nintendo confirmed a two-day Drag x Drive “Global Jam” event on August 9 and 10, the weekend before the game’s August 14 arrival.

To date, Nintendo has said surprisingly little about Drag x Drive, which is set to follow Donkey Kong Bananza as the company’s next Switch 2 exclusive. A multiplayer sports game with mouse controls, the game has only been briefly glimpsed so far — despite it launching in less than a month.

“Eager to hit the court in Drag x Drive? Get a sneak peek with the Drag x Drive: Global Jam demo event!” Nintendo wrote today, announcing the game’s upcoming public trial. “This event takes place on August 9 and 10, exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2 for Nintendo Switch Online members.”

If you’re interested, you’ll be able to download and try the game’s Global Jam demo between 3am and 7am Pacific, then 5pm and 9pm Pacific on August 9, plus 9am and 1pm Pacific on August 10.

While Drag x Drive is a multiplayer-focused experience, some fans have said it is surprising to see the game’s demo limited to those with a Nintendo Switch Online subscription. There is no local multiplayer option within the game, Nintendo has previously noted, but surely the company would want this demo to be available to as large a Switch 2 audience as possible?

A previous demo for the game, available to play as part of the Switch 2’s in-person pre-release events, revealed Drag x Drive to be a three-versus-three sports title with gameplay similar to wheelchair basketball. Players must propel themselves across the game’s neon courts and perform a throwing action in order to pass the ball, or shoot it at a basketball hoop.

Exactly which modes will be available in the full game, or indeed this Global Jam offering, remain to be seen. Nintendo has however said that Drag x Drive will be a budget price release, costing $19.99 / £16.99, and an eShop-only digital title.

Before all that, Nintendo’s blockbuster Donkey Kong Bananza is due to arrive later this week. Yesterday, Nintendo gave fans a rare peek behind its development curtain with a glimpse at how the game would have looked on Switch 1.

Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social

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