Strikerz CEO Claims Nintendo Holding Switch 2 Development Kids From Free-To-Play Developers

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Key points
- Strikerz CEO Eugene Nashilov believes that Nintendo isn’t actively giving free-to-play developers Switch 2 devkits.
- Strikerz is the studio behind the free-to-play football game UFL.
- UFL was initially released in 2024 for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox Series X|S.
An article by InsiderGaming revealed that the CEO of Strikerz, Eugene Nashilov, believes that “Nintendo is not very much actively giving development kits to free-to-play developers.” Strikerz is the studio behind the free-to-play football game, UFL.
The statement was made during a briefing with the media, which was attended by Football Gaming Zone. Nashilov added that it isn’t just them, and that it is “a global trend, and we’re part of that.”
The answer came after the media asked Nashilov about the Nintendo Switch 2 version of UFL. He said that once they have their hands on a devkit, they will start working on it. Nashilov previously mentioned that the studio had ordered a devkit back in March 2025, but it still has not arrived.
It’s worth noting that it’s not just free-to-play developers that are having problems with Nintendo Switch 2 development kits. Insider Gaming mentioned that rumors circulated at Gamescom 2025 that major studios still don’t have the development kit and are being pressured to develop their games for the Nintendo Switch, so that the Switch 2 can play them with backward compatibility.
UFL is a free-to-play football game that was released in 2024 for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. A PC version was initially planned to be released during the first half of 2025; however, the developers delayed it to November or December of the same year.