Star Fox: Battle Mode goes four-player split-screen on 30 September

The facts

On 9 September 2026, during its Nintendo Direct, Nintendo announced a free update for Star Fox, its space shooter released on Switch 2 in June. It is scheduled for 29 September in North America.

In France: the update is announced for 30 September 2026, free for owners of the game.

The main addition: Battle Mode, in which players fight each other in their ships, now supports up to four players on a single Switch 2, in split-screen. They will be able to fight one another, or team up to join online battles together. Until now, this mode could only be played online, in teams of four against four, and a single console only accommodated two players, for the co-operative campaign.

The update adds three arenas to the three already available (Corneria, Sector Y and Fichina), each with its own objective. On Katina, players must take control of a powerful laser. In Sector X, teams destroy asteroids while dodging energy waves. On Venom, they have to scan data modules before escaping a deadly discharge.

On the same day, Nintendo added Star Fox Adventures to the Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics catalogue. The game is available on Switch 2 to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers with the Expansion Pack. In it, Fox McCloud and his companion Tricky explore a planet inhabited by dinosaurs.

The story so far

Star Fox is a remake of Star Fox 64, released in 1997 on Nintendo 64 and known in Europe as Lylat Wars. Developed by the American studio Velan Studios and published by Nintendo, it came out on 25 June 2026, exclusively on Switch 2. It brings back Fox McCloud and his squadron, tasked with protecting the Lylat system from the scientist Andross, with a re-orchestrated soundtrack and completely remade graphics.

Star Fox Adventures was released in 2002 on GameCube (on 22 November in Europe). Developed by the British studio Rare, it grew out of another project, Dinosaur Planet, begun on Nintendo 64: Shigeru Miyamoto, a producer at Nintendo, persuaded the studio to bring in the Star Fox characters. It was Rare’s only GameCube game; the studio was bought by Microsoft the day after its American release.

Why it matters

At launch, Star Fox had been criticised for its limited multiplayer options: Jeuxvideo.com’s review regretted in particular that it had only three arenas. Three months later, this free update partly answers those criticisms: it brings back same-screen multiplayer and doubles the number of arenas. With Star Fox Adventures, subscribers also get back an entry that stands apart in the series, an exploration adventure rather than a shooter.

Archive note

• Free update to Star Fox (Switch 2) announced for 30 September 2026 in France (29 September in North America).
• Battle Mode for up to four players on one console; three arenas added (Katina, Sector X, Venom).
• Star Fox Adventures (GameCube, 2002) available since 9 September 2026 on Nintendo Classics, with the Expansion Pack.