Fox McCloud is back, and Nintendo is returning to the Star Fox 64 formula for the Switch 2 era.
Nintendo has announced StarFox for the Nintendo Switch 2, and it is launching on June 25, 2026.
The reveal came during a surprise Star Fox Direct, which Nintendo announced less than an hour before the presentation began. That kind of sudden Direct would be notable on its own, but the bigger story is what Nintendo chose to show: a modern return to one of its most beloved dormant franchises.
After Fox McCloud’s appearance in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Star Fox is officially getting a new game based on Star Fox 64. For longtime Nintendo fans, that is a big deal. The series has not received a new major entry since Star Fox Zero on the Wii U in 2016, making this the franchise’s first major return in a decade.
This new Star Fox appears to be more than a simple visual upgrade. Nintendo showed new ways to play, including optional mouse controls with the Nintendo Switch 2 JoyCons, as well as compatibility with the Nintendo 64 controller for players who want something closer to the classic experience. Early details also point to expanded lore and another deeper look at the Star Fox universe.
That last part matters, because Star Fox has always had more personality than Nintendo usually gives it credit for. The Arwing combat is iconic, but so is the radio chatter, the rivalries, the strange corners of the Lylat system, and the feeling that Fox, Falco, Peppy, and Slippy are more than just pilots flying from one rail-shooter stage to the next.
If Nintendo can preserve what made Star Fox 64 so replayable while giving the series a stronger sense of world and momentum, this could be one of the Switch 2’s most exciting early surprises.
I am absolutely ready to lose hours in this game.
About the Author
Scott (Scotty) Greenhalgh is the founder and owner of Input Lag, an independent Nintendo-focused publication. Scotty brings a player-first perspective informed by years of hands-on experience with Nintendo games to his reviews, rankings, and editorial coverage. His writing focuses on how games feel to play, their long-term value, and the impact Nintendo’s creative and business decisions have on players.
Outside of Input Lag, he also creates Pokémon-focused content online under the name Gr3atScotty.
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