Star Fox's free update brings four-player split-screen Battle Mode to Switch 2

The free Battle Mode update Nintendo trailed at its September Direct is here. Star Fox on Switch 2 is getting local four-player support and three new stages at no cost, with the rollout landing on September 29 in some regions and September 30 in others according to Nintendo's own regional news pages.

Four on one console

The headline is that up to four players can now play on a single Nintendo Switch 2 system. That covers both facing each other in local play and grouping up as a team to join online battles from the same console, which is the part that makes couch play actually useful rather than isolating.

Online battles still need a Nintendo Switch Online membership and an internet connection, and Nintendo notes local multiplayer may require additional systems or accessories depending on how you set it up.

Three new stages

Battle Mode picks up three familiar locations with distinct objectives. On Katina, players fight for control of a powerful laser. Sector X tasks you with destroying asteroids while dodging destructive energy waves. Venom has you scanning data modules and then escaping a deadly surge before it catches you.

Star Fox Adventures too

Separately, Star Fox Adventures has arrived in the Nintendo GameCube - Nintendo Classics library, available to anyone subscribed to Nintendo Switch Online plus the Expansion Pack.

Why it matters

Star Fox's multiplayer has historically been a side dish rather than a reason to keep the game installed. Four-player local on one system, with objective-driven stages instead of plain dogfights, is the first real attempt at changing that.