Bethesda Confirms Full Game on Card, No Downloads Needed for Indy’s Switch 2 Adventure
In a move that’s got Nintendo fans cheering louder than Indy cracking his whip, Bethesda has confirmed the physical edition of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle for Nintendo Switch 2 will ship on a traditional game card, not one of those pesky key cards that force you to download the whole thing. Announced during yesterday’s Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase (February 4, 2026), where Bethesda also dropped dates for Fallout 4 (March 4, 2026) and other ports, this old-school win means popping in the cart and playing straight away, no internet roulette required. MachineGames teased the news with a cart image on X, and Bethesda quote-tweeted: “And yes, the game will be on a game card.” It’s a breath of fresh air amid the Switch 2’s key card controversy, and with the game hitting stores on May 12, 2026, collectors can rest easy knowing their adventure won’t buffer mid-Nazi punch.
Why This Matters: Key Cards vs. True Physical, Bethesda Bucks the Trend
Switch 2’s launch has been shadowed by “key cards”, code-in-box editions that ship a dummy cart requiring full downloads, a format slammed for defeating physical’s point (no resale value, internet dependency). Third-parties like Ubisoft (Assassin’s Creed Shadows) and EA (Dragon Age: The Veilguard) leaned hard into it, sparking backlash on X and Reddit: “Key cards are just plastic e-waste,” one viral post ranted (47K likes). Bethesda’s full-cart commitment for Indiana Jones is a rare W, especially as their other Switch 2 ports (Fallout 4, Oblivion Remastered, Skyrim) are code-in-box. “Imagine that, a physical game you can actually play offline,” quipped GamesRadar+, echoing community relief. The decision surprised many, given the game’s 100GB+ size on other platforms, props to Bethesda for squeezing it onto Switch 2’s beefier carts (up to 128GB).
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: One of 2024’s Best, Now Switch 2-Bound
MachineGames’ globe-trotting epic, released December 9, 2024, on PC, Xbox, and PS5, earned an 88 Metacritic with praise for its pulpy puzzles, Nazi-smashing combat, and Troy Baker’s spot-on Indy voice. Set in 1937 between Raiders and Last Crusade, it’s a first-person adventure (third-person optional) blending stealth, whips, and artifact hunts across Vatican digs and Egyptian tombs. Switch 2 version promises portable glory with Joy-Con gyro aiming and HD Rumble for every punch, expect 30FPS docked/720p handheld, per leaks. X is buzzing: “Physical cart? Bethesda, you’re my hero, key cards can stay in the Temple of Doom.”
Pre-orders live now (Standard $69.99, Steelbook $79.99 with artbook), including Order of Giants DLC. If Fallout 4‘s code-in-box saddens, at least Indy’s artifact is tangible.
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