There have been many reports and rumours that claimed a Nintendo Direct would happen after the arrival of Donkey Kong Bananza and before the end of July. It's now July 29 and there is still no sign of the Direct, even if there is a couple of days left for this to become a reality, something that isn't yet out of the equation either as Nintendo likes announcing Directs a day or two before they happen.
You might be wondering if there have been any additional signs that the Direct will happen this week, and there has. Nintendo has confirmed that the eShop will be undergoing maintenance very soon, in the early hours of Thursday for that matter, between 7:00 BST / 8:00 CEST and 8:30 BST / 9:30 CEST. As for how this might suggest a Direct, fans have noticed that Nintendo tends to prepare the eShop for a Direct show by performing a bit of maintenance shortly beforehand, with this once again happening right in line with an expected broadcast.
A reasonable guess is that if the Direct will happen this week, seemingly on Thursday, July 31, we should expect the announcement either today or tomorrow, likely in the early afternoon. Plus, if recent news is anything to go by, you might want to keep an eye on Nintendo Today! as the mobile app may receive an announcement a little before anything reaches social media, as was the case with the Donkey Kong Bananza Direct and the recent The Legend of Zelda movie casting information.