In the most recent Nintendo Direct on Sept. 12, 2025, “Mario” series creator Shigeru Miyamoto stepped out and revealed lots of new “Mario” related content in celebration of the series’ 40th anniversary. These included several brand-new video games and events. Arguably the biggest announcement was the official title reveal of the sequel to 2023’s “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” which is now titled, “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.” In addition, they also revealed that 2007’s “Super Mario Galaxy” and 2010’s “Super Mario Galaxy 2” were being remastered and rereleased for the Nintendo Switch (as well as the Switch 2) on Oct. 2, 2025.
The remasters have garnered lots of attention, as well as controversy regarding the price of said bundle. However, it has also garnered a lot of speculation among fans. Fans are speculating that because of the release of both “Super Mario Galaxy” games on Switch, as well as the upcoming release of “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” Nintendo is secretly working on “Super Mario Galaxy 3,” and everything previously mentioned is building up to it.
Now, as of Oct. 2025, nothing about this has been confirmed by Nintendo. But how likely is a third “Galaxy” game exactly? This could all just be pure speculation and hope, as many fans have been asking for a third entry for over a decade. However, if there would be a time to make a “Galaxy 3,” it would be now.
Why it could be likely
Many fans say that “Super Mario Galaxy 3” is just a fantasy at this point, however, there are some things that prove its likelihood. First, the aforementioned “Mario Galaxy” bundle and movie, that could be setting it up. Second, it has been a long time since the last brand-new 3D “Mario” game. The most recent release was “Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury” in 2021, but that was still an enhanced port of 2013’s “Super Mario 3D World,” but with a new side story game. The last fully brand-new 3D “Mario” game was “Super Mario Odyssey,” which was released in 2017. This means that it’s been almost 8 years since the last fully brand-new 3D “Mario” game, the longest gap in the series’ history. So, regardless of whether it’ll be a third “Galaxy” game, or just a new game altogether, it’s highly likely that Nintendo is working on a brand-new 3D “Mario,” as it is one of the franchise’s biggest series.
But who’s to say it will be a “Galaxy 3?” When it comes to 3D “Mario” games, there have been three gameplay styles in the series’ history. First, there is sandbox-style, where there’s a selection of open-world areas filled with several collectables to find. The games that fit into this category are “Super Mario 64,” “Super Mario Sunshine,” and “Super Mario Odyssey.” Second, there is linear-style, which functions the same as a 2D “Mario” game but in a 3D space, where you simply run from point A to point B in each level. The games are “Super Mario 3D Land” and “Super Mario 3D World.” Lastly, there’s the “Galaxy” games, which don’t really fit into either category, but essentially combine elements from both sandbox and linear-style and make something of their own.
Many had thought the next game would be either a sequel to “Super Mario Odyssey,” or another sandbox-style 3D platformer, as that style seems to be the most well-liked among fans. However, fans are saying that because of the recent release of “Donkey Kong Bananza,” a huge 3D sandbox-style platformer developed by the same team as “Odyssey,” that a new sandbox 3D “Mario” game seems less likely now. Nintendo wouldn’t want to take the attention of “Bananza” so soon, and/or because since the team was developing that game, they wouldn’t be working on another one.
This, along with everything previously mentioned, is causing fans to believe that the next 3D “Mario” game will be a “Galaxy 3.”
Why it could be unlikely
Despite there being a lot of evidence proving why “Galaxy 3” is more likely than ever, there are still things that could prove that it’s just speculation. For one thing, it has been over 15 years since “Galaxy 2,” so it’s possible that Nintendo decided to move on from that format. While yes, the recent “Galaxy” content could be hinting that they will return to it, it is also very likely that it could just be a coincidence. The “Galaxy” bundle was released to celebrate the franchise’s 40th anniversary, and Nintendo likely chose to remaster those games to promote the new movie.
And yes, the release of “Bananza” does weaken the chances of a brand-new sandbox 3D “Mario” game releasing anytime soon, however, there’s no real evidence proving why it wouldn’t be a new linear game. The last new linear game to release was “Super Mario 3D World” in 2013, which was 12 years ago, meaning that the chances of Nintendo returning to the linear format are just as likely as returning to the “Galaxy” format. It’s also possible that the next 3D “Mario” game will take on a new format that hasn’t been done in the series before. Fans have also speculated that it could be a completely open-world game and drop the individual worlds, possibly similar to that of “Sonic Frontiers” and the Free Roam mode in “Mario Kart World.”
So, while it is still technically possible that Nintendo is working on “Galaxy 3,” it’s probably best not to get hopes up too high.
Regardless of whether Nintendo is working on “Galaxy 3” or not, it’s fun to speculate on what a third game would end up being. Both “Galaxy” titles are some of the most critically acclaimed video games of all time, and still hold up well even after over a decade. So that makes it possible that fans just really want a third game and will find any excuse to believe that it’s real, but the high demand and impact could also convince Nintendo to return to the series. As of now, there cannot be a proper conclusion as to if a third entry is being developed. We’ll just have to stay tuned and keep reaching for the stars.
