Star Fox Returns: Free Switch 2 Demo Drops During June 9 Nintendo Direct

During its June 9, 2026 Nintendo Direct, Nintendo confirmed what many fans had hoped: the Star Fox franchise is back, and you can play a slice of it for free right now. The new Star Fox for Nintendo Switch 2 is a full cinematic remake of the 1997 classic Star Fox 64, rebuilt by Velan Studios as a third-person rail shooter that aims to reintroduce Fox McCloud and the Lylat Wars to a new generation. A free demo, including the tutorial and the opening campaign stage (Meteo), went live immediately after the Direct on the Nintendo eShop .

The full game launches on June 25, 2026 .

What the demo includes

The free demo lets Switch 2 owners play through the flight tutorial and one full opening stage, giving a hands-on taste of the reworked Arwing combat, cinematic cutscenes, and updated controls . It serves as a vertical slice of the single-player campaign and is available exclusively on the Nintendo eShop.

A cinematic remake, not another port

Nintendo has described this Star Fox as a “cinematic take” on Star Fox 64, with extended cutscenes, reimagined visuals, and a branching-path campaign that echoes the structure of the 1997 original while introducing modern flourishes . It is also a series reboot in terms of continuity, making it the fifth game to retell the core Lylat Wars story.

Key gameplay features

Velan Studios has packed several modes and systems into the June 25 release :

• Single-player campaign with branching routes, extended cinematics, and multiple difficulty levels, including an unlockable Expert mode.
• Competitive multiplayer pitting Star Fox against Star Wolf, plus a two-player local co-op mode where one player pilots the Arwing and the other operates a gunner position.
• Joy-Con 2 mouse-mode aiming, taking advantage of the Switch 2’s updated controllers.
• Challenge Mode for replaying completed levels under specific objectives.

The game runs exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2 and requires a Nintendo Switch Online membership for online multiplayer features .

Pricing and pre-order deals

Nintendo continues its Switch 2 variable pricing strategy with Star Fox :

• Digital (Nintendo eShop): $49.99 USD
• Physical (retail): $59.99 USD

However, several retailers including Walmart and Amazon have been offering the physical edition at a $10 discount, matching the digital $49.99 price . Pre-orders went live earlier in May 2026, shortly after the game’s initial announcement in a dedicated Star Fox Direct on May 6 .

Where Star Fox fits in the series timeline

Pinpointing the “last new franchise release” depends on how you define a new game.

The most recent officially published Star Fox title is Star Fox 2, which finally released on September 29, 2017 as part of the Super NES Classic Edition . However, Star Fox 2 was originally developed in the mid-1990s and shelved before completion — its 2017 launch was a historical release, not a new original entry .

If you count only brand-new, original console releases, the previous new Star Fox game was Star Fox Zero on the Wii U, which launched in April 2016 and was developed in partnership with PlatinumGames . Star Fox Zero was a reimagining of the Lylat Wars story with unique levels and a dual-screen control scheme. It released alongside the tower-defense spin-off Star Fox Guard .

No original Star Fox game shipped between 2016 and 2026, making the June 25 Switch 2 release the first fresh entry in a full decade .

Developer background

Velan Studios, the developer behind Star Fox on Switch 2, confirmed its role on Bluesky shortly after the June 9 Direct. The studio stated it had been working on the project for some time and is proud to bring the series back . Velan is best known for inventive multiplayer titles and Nintendo-adjacent collaborations, but Star Fox represents its largest profile single-player project to date.

What’s next

Nintendo followed the June 9 Direct with a Nintendo Treehouse: Live session that showed extended Star Fox gameplay, and the company confirmed that pre-loading is available now for digital pre-orders . With a reasonable $49.99 digital entry point and a playable demo available today, Star Fox on Switch 2 is positioned as one of the more accessible major 2026 launch-window titles.