After years in the hangar, Star Fox is finally back in the cockpit. The new Star Fox — a Switch 2 exclusive revealed in a surprise Nintendo Direct back in May — is now just days away, with a global launch set for June 25, 2026 (June 25 worldwide, with South Korea following on July 2).
The reveal itself was a classic Nintendo move: the Direct was announced barely ten minutes before it aired on May 7, then dropped the Star Fox bombshell on an unsuspecting fanbase. Perhaps the bigger surprise is who's behind it — development is being handled by Velan Studios, the team best known for Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit and the dodgeball brawler Knockout City, rather than a traditional Nintendo internal team.
At its core, this is a remake of Star Fox 64, the 1997 Nintendo 64 classic that defined the on-rails space shooter — the one that gave the world the Arwing, the Lylat System, and the immortal "do a barrel roll." Velan's version expands on the original's level design, story and mechanics while introducing new character designs, making it the fifth game to adapt that foundational Star Fox narrative.
Mechanically, the fundamentals are intact: third-person rail-shooting in the Arwing, barrel rolls to deflect incoming fire, a branching campaign where your performance steers you down different paths, and three difficulty levels to chew through. But it's the Switch 2 features layering on top that catch the eye — Joy-Con 2 mouse-mode controls and even Nintendo 64 Wireless Controller support for purists, plus GameChat and GameShare integration.
The multiplayer side looks meatier than you might expect from a Star Fox revival. There's competitive play pitting Team Star Fox against Team Star Wolf, as well as a co-op campaign mode that splits duties between a pilot and a gunner — a neat way to share the cockpit with a friend.
Early preview coverage has been largely positive, with critics singling out the visuals and the responsive controls for praise. The one recurring question mark — and it's a fair one — is whether the world needed Star Fox 64 remade yet again, given how many times its story has been retold. Whether this version finally lets the series move forward, or simply polishes a beloved classic one more time, we'll know very soon.
For completionists, Star Fox 64 was always about mastery: chasing the best routes, hitting medal targets on every stage and unlocking the harder branching paths. If Velan has kept that spirit, expect a tight but deep game to 100% — and we'll have a full all-medals, all-paths route guide ready shortly after launch.
Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Fox_(2026_video_game) and https://www.gamesradar.com/video-game-release-dates/