Nintendo’s Donkey Kong Bananza is quietly shaping up to be one of the company’s most “live-service-like” experiments yet. Alongside its paid DK Island + Emerald Rush DLC, Nintendo has introduced monthly in-game events such as the Emerald Rush Challenge, where players compete for high scores under rotating conditions and limited-time “Emerald Perks.” The first event, Chip Fever, runs from October 28 to November 4 (UK time) and offers exclusive collectible statues as rewards. Each month brings new modifiers and objectives, keeping the gameplay loop fresh and giving players a reason to log back in. It’s a subtle shift for Nintendo — layering replayability and FOMO-style incentives onto what was once a strictly single-player experience, and hinting at how the company might sustain engagement across future releases.

Why are Nintendo doing this?

Nintendo’s recent moves with Donkey Kong Bananza suggest a strategic shift toward sustaining player engagement well beyond launch day. For decades, Nintendo’s success was built on self-contained, replayable experiences that players could return to at their own pace. But in today’s gaming landscape — where live service models dominate and attention is constantly divided — maintaining relevance means keeping a game in the public conversation long after release. By adding monthly Emerald Rush events and time-limited rewards, Nintendo is experimenting with the idea of creating recurring reasons to return, turning what might once have been a finished adventure into an evolving one. It’s also a way to extend the commercial lifespan of DLC, giving players continued value for their purchase while encouraging a longer-term relationship with the game.

At the same time, this shift represents a measured evolution rather than a radical reinvention. Nintendo isn’t chasing aggressive monetization or endless battle passes; instead, it’s blending its traditional design philosophy — focused on fun, accessibility, and creativity — with the modern expectation of ongoing content. Through Bananza, Nintendo can gauge how players respond to limited-time modes, event rewards, and ongoing updates before bringing similar systems to bigger franchises. It’s a gentle test of how “live” a Nintendo world can feel without losing the charm and craftsmanship that define it.

Nintendo’s “live service experiments”

Nintendo has been carefully testing the waters of live-service-style content for years — just without ever labeling it as such. The most obvious example is Splatoon 3, a game built entirely around seasonal updates, Splatfests, and rotating map schedules that keep its online community constantly active. Similarly, Animal Crossing: New Horizons blurred the line between single-player and live service by delivering real-time seasonal events and free updates, ensuring players returned throughout the year to celebrate holidays or collect exclusive items. These weren’t framed as “live services,” but they functioned in much the same way — encouraging long-term play through recurring content cycles.

Even Nintendo’s competitive and sports titles followed this pattern. Mario Strikers: Battle League, Mario Tennis Aces, and Mario Golf: Super Rush all launched with limited rosters, later expanded through free character updates and new modes designed to keep engagement high. Meanwhile, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe took the paid DLC route, releasing waves of new fighters, tracks, and characters over several years — effectively becoming live platforms supported by dedicated online communities. Even Super Mario Odyssey dipped its toes into this space with Luigi’s Balloon World, a free post-launch update that added an asynchronous online mode with leaderboards and community challenges. Taken together, these games reveal a consistent pattern: Nintendo has been quietly learning how to extend the life of its titles through ongoing updates, player interaction, and steady streams of new content — all without compromising its traditional design ethos.

Switch 2 online ambitions

The upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 appears designed to finally support the kind of connected experiences Nintendo has been cautiously moving toward. The system is set to include a built-in GameChat feature, allowing players to voice chat, share screens, and even video chat through the console’s new camera or a USB-C peripheral. This is a major shift for a company that once relied on a separate smartphone app for communication. Combined with stronger online infrastructure and a renewed focus on multiplayer functionality, the Switch 2 seems tailored for a more socially connected era of Nintendo gaming. It’s easy to imagine how this could complement live-service ambitions — with players coordinating event runs, showing off new content in real time, or participating in limited-time challenges together. In short, the Switch 2’s online tools look like the missing piece that could let Nintendo truly embrace continuous, community-driven gameplay while still maintaining its family-friendly ecosystem.

What could be next?

If Donkey Kong Bananza represents Nintendo’s first confident step into recurring, event-based design, then its future games could push this philosophy even further. A follow-up to Super Mario Odyssey, for instance, could expand on Luigi’s Balloon World — transforming it into a global hub of weekly challenges, community leaderboards, and player-created missions that evolve over time. Similarly, the next Zelda entry could feature rotating trials or world events that refresh its dungeons and enemies, giving players new reasons to return even after completing the story. With the Switch 2’s stronger online infrastructure, including built-in chat, camera, and multiplayer tools, Nintendo will finally have the technical foundation to make these experiences feel seamless and social, not bolted-on extras.

We might also see Nintendo integrate event calendars and live updates more directly into its core franchises. Mario Kart 9, for example, could adopt a “Grand Prix season” format with limited-time tournaments and unlockable cosmetics, while Splatoon 4 could expand its live ecosystem even further with story-driven seasonal arcs. Crucially, though, Nintendo will likely retain its family-friendly, event-based spin on live service — focusing on community participation and shared moments rather than aggressive monetization. What we’re seeing with Bananza isn’t a radical departure, but a testbed for a future where Nintendo’s worlds don’t end at the credits — they evolve, adapt, and invite players back again and again.

Counterarguments and pitfalls

Of course, not everyone is excited about Nintendo’s slow drift toward live-service-style design. Fans are already wary of FOMO-driven events and DLC-gated content, especially when limited-time rewards appear locked behind paywalls, as with Donkey Kong Bananza’s Emerald Rush mode. There’s also a risk that Nintendo’s signature polish and accessibility could suffer if constant updates or competitive loops begin to dominate design priorities. Unlike studios built around live service models, Nintendo’s charm lies in self-contained experiences that feel timeless and complete — a balance that’s easy to disrupt with ongoing monetization or time-sensitive content. Reviews of Bananza’s DLC have already hinted at concerns over value, suggesting that recurring events might be compensating for a lighter package. As Nintendo steps further into this space, maintaining trust will be crucial; players will accept ongoing updates, but only if they enhance the experience without turning beloved franchises into grind-based ecosystems.

Final thoughts

Nintendo’s gradual move into live-service territory feels less like a radical reinvention and more like an evolution of its long-standing philosophy — keeping players connected to its worlds long after the credits roll. Donkey Kong Bananza’s monthly events are a subtle, low-risk way to train audiences for the kind of ongoing engagement that the Switch 2’s online infrastructure will make possible. Across its catalogue, Nintendo is clearly experimenting with how to merge its mastery of handcrafted single-player design with the communal, always-on nature of modern gaming. The company’s challenge now is to maintain the heart of what makes its games special — creativity, surprise, and approachability — while embracing systems that invite players back week after week. If it can strike that balance, Nintendo might not just catch up to the live-service trend — it could redefine it in its own playful, enduring way.