Nintendo is bringing Star Fox back on June 25, but the new Switch 2 game is not a completely new chapter for Fox McCloud and crew. Nintendo announced Star Fox as a cinematic remake based on Star Fox 64, with a full visual overhaul, new cutscenes and modern Switch 2 features.
The game is exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2 and is now listed on Nintendo's store at $49.99 digitally. Nintendo says the remake keeps the Lylat System mission against Andross, while updating character designs, stage visuals, mission briefings, voice work and the soundtrack.
The announcement gives Star Fox its most prominent console spotlight in years. The series has a long Nintendo history, including the original SNES game and its practical marketing oddities, such as the Star Fox puppets used for early promotion, but the Switch 2 release leans directly on the Nintendo 64 entry that helped define the franchise for many players.
Switch 2 features push Star Fox beyond a visual remake
Star Fox keeps Campaign Mode's route-changing structure, with players piloting the Arwing through planets, asteroid fields and dogfights. The Landmaster and Blue-Marine return, and Challenge Mode lets players replay cleared stages with new objectives outside the main campaign.
The bigger additions are tied to Switch 2. Joy-Con 2 mouse controls can be used in solo Campaign and Challenge play, with Nintendo describing them as a way to aim more intuitively. In two-player co-op, one player can focus on flying while the other handles gunner duties.
Battle Mode adds 4-vs-4 dogfights, splitting up to eight players between Team Star Fox and Team Star Wolf. Nintendo lists three objective-based stages: zone control on Corneria, energy crystal collection on Fichina and cargo retrieval in Sector Y. Matches can be played online through private matches or wider matchmaking.
GameShare support also gives the remake a local and online multiplayer hook. Nintendo says up to four players can play through GameShare locally or online through GameChat, though online GameShare is limited to Switch 2 systems. Local GameShare can share compatible games with both Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch systems.
GameChat turns pilots into Star Fox avatars
Nintendo is also using Star Fox to show off one of Switch 2's stranger social features. GameChat character avatars and AR filters let players appear as Fox McCloud or other Star Fox characters, with expressions and movement mirrored through a compatible camera setup.
The official store page lists Star Fox with an Everyone 10+ rating and a June 25, 2026 release date. For a franchise that has often seemed stuck between nostalgia and reinvention, Nintendo's next move is a focused one: rebuild Star Fox 64 for Switch 2, then use the new hardware's controls, chat tools and online multiplayer to make it feel less like a museum piece.