REDMOND, Wash., May 6, 2026, 16:06 PDT
- Nintendo’s Star Fox lands on Nintendo Switch 2 come June 25, dropping less than two months after that unexpected Direct.
- Built on Star Fox 64, the game brings in updated visuals, fresh cutscenes, mouse support, and online 4-vs-4 battles.
- Nintendo picks up another first-party exclusive with the launch, aiming to carry Switch 2’s momentum through mid-year.
Nintendo on Wednesday announced plans to launch Star Fox for Nintendo Switch 2, targeting a June 25 release. The company is reviving Fox McCloud’s space-combat franchise, this time linking the rollout to a surprise Star Fox Direct presentation. According to Nintendo, the new game draws from the Nintendo 64 classic Star Fox 64.
Timing here is key. Nintendo is slotting one of its signature franchises onto the Switch 2 lineup only weeks after Fox McCloud’s cameo in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, effectively flipping a film appearance into a coordinated push for both hardware and software ahead of the summer shopping season.
This marks the first new Star Fox entry in nearly ten years, The Verge reports. The outlet also pointed out that, up until now, Nintendo’s lineup of major Switch 2 releases for 2026 had been looking sparse, aside from a handful of titles like Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, Rhythm Heaven Groove, Splatoon Raiders, and Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave.
Nintendo is pitching the new Star Fox as a “cinematic take” on Star Fox 64, promising upgraded character models, reworked stages, richer cutscenes, a full voice cast, and an orchestral soundtrack. Once again, the campaign sends Fox, Peppy, Falco, and Slippy barreling through the Lylat System, squaring off with Andross — the series’ main antagonist. Business Wire
The company is working to ensure the remake feels like a true fit for Switch 2. It’s planning to add support for Joy-Con 2 mouse controls—so, for example, one player can handle steering, with another managing the guns. GameChat avatars, which track and reflect a player’s facial expressions and movements, will show up as well. GameChat is Nintendo’s own voice-and-video chat for Switch 2.
Battle Mode is back—this time as a 4-vs-4 dogfight, splitting players into Team Star Fox or Team Star Wolf. Nintendo confirmed the mode brings objective-based skirmishes to Corneria, Fichina and Sector Y. Online matchmaking and private lobbies are in, and there’s also some local play via GameShare.
Shigeru Miyamoto added a bit of late-breaking intrigue to the reveal, chiming in with a social post from Nintendo’s chief designer: “The presentation runs for approximately 15 minutes,” he wrote just before the Direct got underway. Over at VGC, producer Yoshiaki Koizumi was said to have introduced the game as drawing on Star Fox 64. VGC
According to Game Informer, stage layouts mirror those from Star Fox 64, but dialogue, visuals and character models have been overhauled. The publication notes challenge missions introduce objectives outside the main campaign, with both Normal and Expert difficulty settings up for grabs.
Nintendo’s edge hasn’t changed: exclusive titles push hardware. Sony’s PlayStation and Microsoft’s Xbox pile on with bigger libraries and more services, but Nintendo sticks to its own stable of characters; Star Fox hands Switch 2 a fresh franchise-driven title—one you won’t see on competing consoles.
Still, uncertainty lingers. Nintendo hasn’t disclosed U.S. pricing, and certain online or camera-enabled functions won’t work out of the box: you’ll need both a Nintendo Switch Online membership and a Nintendo Account to use features like GameChat, plus a compatible USB camera to unlock some video capabilities.
No, it’s not a total reinvention — Nintendo’s demo sticks pretty close to the usual Lylat run. Sharper graphics, some added multiplayer, a few Switch 2 gimmicks. Nintendo’s wager: that’s enough to freshen up the classic rail shooter for today.
