Hold onto your Arwings, folks - Nintendo is finally pulling Star Fox out of the dumpster fire it's been sitting in since the N64 days. According to a preview published by Game Informer, the new Star Fox game is shaping up to recapture what made the franchise legendary in the first place.
Game Informer's preview describes Star Fox 64 as the kind of game you'd immediately restart the second the credits rolled, chasing high scores and secrets like a speedrunner who just discovered their new obsession. The new 2026 entry apparently aims to tap back into that same energy - which, honestly, is the only correct decision Nintendo could have made.
The prodigal fox returns
The game is set to launch June 25, 2026, published and developed by Nintendo themselves, and is rated Everyone 10+. No third-party handoffs, no weird gimmick controls - just Nintendo cooking with their own recipe, which is either a great sign or the setup for a very expensive disappointment.
Game Informer notes that the franchise famously "lost its way" after the glory days, which is the most diplomatic way possible to describe what happened after Star Fox Adventures turned Fox McCloud into a bargain-bin Zelda protagonist. Fans have been waiting literal decades for a proper return to form.
Why this actually matters
Star Fox has always been one of Nintendo's most criminally underutilized IPs - a franchise with genuine arcade shooter DNA that got shuffled around like an unwanted side quest NPC. If this new entry delivers the kind of replayable, score-chasing, route-finding gameplay that made 64 a permanent resident in people's memory cards, Nintendo could be sitting on a serious win for the Switch 2 era.
The preview from Game Informer paints a cautiously optimistic picture, suggesting the flying feels smooth enough to justify the hype. Whether the full game sticks the landing or crashes into a mountain like an unlucky wingman remains to be seen when it drops later this month.
One thing is certain - Fox McCloud has had enough bench time. It's his turn to respawn.
