Wario World Joins the Switch 2 GameCube Library
Wario's only 3D platformer is playable again. Wario World joined the GameCube app on Nintendo Switch 2 on December 11, 2025, and Nintendo released it right away instead of making fans wait a week.
A Treasure game with Wario's name on it
Wario World was developed by Treasure, the team known for Gunstar Heroes and Sin and Punishment. It first came out in English speaking countries in June 2003, and Japan got it on May 27, 2004.
The setup is pure Wario. A cursed black jewel warps his castle and turns his treasure into monsters, so he punches his way through a strange world to get his riches back. Moves like the Wild Swing-Ding and the Piledriver handle enemies and clear traps that block the path.
What you need to play it
The GameCube collection only runs on Switch 2, and it needs a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership. The standard membership does not include it, and the original Switch cannot run the app.
The service launched in June 2025. Before Wario World, it had added Super Mario Strikers, Luigi's Mansion and Chibi-Robo.
A busy stretch for Wario
Wario World was part of a run of Wario appearances. Mario & Wario made its western debut on Switch Online in October 2025, and Mario Kart World includes a track themed on Wario Land.
That run is a big part of why fans keep expecting a new game, and it is where most of the new Wario Land rumors started. For something closer to the microgame side of his career, the WarioWare D.I.Y. big name games show what famous designers built with the DS tools back in 2010.
Sources
- Nintendo Expands Switch 2 GameCube Library With Wario's 3D Outing, Nintendo Life
- Wario World is now available on NSO's GameCube app, Nintendo Wire
- Wario World Hits Switch 2 GCN App Dec. 11, The Famicast
- Nintendo GameCube: Nintendo Classics, Super Mario Wiki
- Rumors of a new Wario game grow ahead of tomorrow's Nintendo Direct, GamesRadar+