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April 2025 reports described leaked footage of an unreleased Nintendo Switch Ridge Racer prototype, reportedly built in 2017. The project was never officially announced, and neither its source nor its cancellation has been officially confirmed. The footage offers a glimpse of an unfinished build—not proof of a completed game called Ridge Racer 8.
What was reportedly leaked?
On 7 April 2025, Video Games Chronicle reported that prototype builds for several games, including a Ridge Racer project intended for Nintendo Switch, had allegedly appeared online. VGC attributed development to Bandai Namco Studios Singapore and said footage was circulating, while noting that the game had never been announced. The outlet said the files were believed to have come from a Switch development kit reportedly sold online; that account was not a verified chain of custody. VGC’s report described the game as presumably long canceled, rather than citing an official cancellation announcement.
Nintendo Life traced discussion of the leak to a Reddit post by user capitalggamer1, which did not identify the source of its information. The outlet cautioned readers about that claim and separately described footage posted by Jesse Young as apparently legitimate-looking. Neither report establishes who owned or leaked the files. Nintendo Life’s coverage is useful context for how the story spread, not independent confirmation of the files’ origins.
What does the footage show?
Traxion’s 11 April 2025 account describes an apparent early Unreal Engine 4 build dated 6 January 2017. The footage’s menu reportedly says “welcome to Ridge Racer,” not Ridge Racer 8. That number appears in retrospective reporting about earlier rumors, but the available footage does not confirm it as the project’s official title. Traxion’s report treats the game as an unfinished build, not a finished or release-ready product.
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Traxion describes a Kamata SYNCi car racing against three AI opponents on a coastal course called Eastside Grand Prix. The footage also appears to show nitro and slipstreaming, alongside menu options for campaign, single event, boss duel, quick race, and time trial. These are observations about what appears in the footage; they do not establish which features would have remained in a final game.
The outlet points to rudimentary handling, low-resolution textures, and visual pop-in as signs of the build’s unfinished state. Those shortcomings should not be read as a verdict on how a released version would have played or looked.
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- 6.2” LCD screen
- Three play modes: TV, tabletop, and handheld
- Local co-op, online, and local wireless multiplayer
- Detachable Joy-Con controllers
- Nintendo Switch is the home of Mario & friends
Is this officially called Ridge Racer 8?
No official title has been established. Traxion says the visible menu reads “welcome to Ridge Racer”; Ridge Racer 8 is a label associated with earlier rumors, not a confirmed name for this prototype. Jesse Young’s post, reproduced in VGC and Traxion, called it a cancelled game developed by Bandai Namco Studios Singapore, built on Unreal Engine 4, and dating to 6 January 2017. That is Young’s description of the leak, not an official statement; the reports do not establish Young’s role in the project or the files’ provenance.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Can you play the leaked game on Switch?
No released version of this prototype is documented. Nintendo’s US store lists Arcade Archives RIDGE RACER as a digital Nintendo Switch game published by HAMSTER and released on 5 June 2025. Nintendo identifies it as the original NAMCO arcade game from 1993. It is a released game readers can play, but it is separate from the leaked prototype—not a port or finished edition of that project.
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- Play your way with the Nintendo Switch gaming system. Whether you’re at home or on the go, solo or with friends, the Nintendo Switch system is designed to fit your life. Dock your Nintendo Switch to enjoy HD gaming on your TV. Heading out? Just undock your console and keep playing in handheld mode
- This model includes battery life of approximately 4.5 - 9 hours.
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- Model number HAC 001( 01)
Other released entries in the series, including older PSP and Vita games, are likewise distinct games. Traxion says the prototype footage appears to draw on those entries, but that resemblance does not make them versions of the Switch project.
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- One player can use a Joy-Con in each hand
- Two players can each take one
- Multiple Joy-Con can be employed by numerous people for a variety of gameplay options (additional Joy-Con sold separately)
- Slip a set of Joy-Con into a Joy-Con grip accessory, mirroring a more traditional controller. Or, select an optional Nintendo Switch Pro Controller.
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- This pre-owned product is not Apple certified, but has been professionally inspected, tested and cleaned by Amazon-qualified suppliers.
- 6.2” LCD screen.
- Three play modes: TV, tabletop, and handheld
- Local co-op, online, and local wireless multiplayer
- Detachable Joy-Con controllers
What remains unconfirmed?
- The prototype’s official title, final design, and whether it would have been released.
- Whether the project was formally canceled, and when. VGC described it as presumably long canceled; no official announcement is cited.
- Who owned or leaked the files, and whether they came from a development kit sold online. The reported origin is not a verified chain of custody.
- Whether the visible menus and features would have appeared in a completed game.
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