Star Fox on Nintendo Switch 2 now supports four-player local split-screen Battle Mode as part of its latest free update, alongside three additional battle stages and a new way for a local group to enter online matches together.
Nintendo lists the current release as version 1.2.0.
What changed in Star Fox version 1.2.0?
The update expands Battle Mode with three stages: Katina, Sector X and Venom. Nintendo also added new items that can appear during battles.
The larger change is local multiplayer. Up to four players can now play Battle Mode together on one Nintendo Switch 2 using split-screen.
Each player needs a controller. Nintendo says Joy-Con 2 and original Joy-Con controllers can be used horizontally for split-screen play.
Four players on one Switch 2 can also join online battles
The split-screen update is not limited to local play.
Nintendo says players using split-screen can form a team and participate in random online matches together from the same Nintendo Switch 2. That makes the update more useful for households where several players want to join online play without each person using a separate console.
Online features still require an internet connection, a Nintendo Account and a Nintendo Switch Online membership where applicable.
Three new Battle Mode stages
Katina, Sector X and Venom expand the Battle Mode stage selection.
Nintendo says the new stages will appear more frequently in online battles for a limited period following the update. The company has not presented that increased appearance rate as permanent, so players should not assume the temporary rotation weighting will remain unchanged.
Campaign and Challenge Mode also received smaller changes
Version 1.2.0 is not exclusively a multiplayer update.
Nintendo’s support notes say the game now displays a confirmation dialog when selecting Abandon Campaign after a game over. The update also adjusts visuals to make it easier to see when certain bosses are taking damage.
The patch also fixes several gameplay issues, including incorrect score calculation in some high-scoring Battle Mode matches, an Arwing wing-durability problem after Expert Challenge Mode, and a case where somersaults or U-turns could stop working after interrupting a Venom 2 session and then entering Battle Mode.
How to get the update
Nintendo lists version 1.2.0 as the latest Star Fox update.
If the console has not downloaded it automatically, highlight Star Fox from the HOME Menu, press the + or – Button, choose Software Update, and then select Via the Internet.
An internet connection is required to download the software update.
Bottom line
Star Fox version 1.2.0 substantially improves the game’s same-console multiplayer options.
Four players can now compete locally in split-screen Battle Mode or use that split-screen setup to form a team for online battles. Katina, Sector X and Venom add three more Battle Mode stages, while the campaign and gameplay fixes make the update broader than the headline multiplayer additions alone.
For groups sharing one Nintendo Switch 2, the split-screen expansion is the part of the update that most clearly changes how the game can be played.
Sources
Source note: Nintendo’s North American support page dates version 1.2.0 to September 29, 2026, while several regional announcement pages are dated September 30. This article therefore identifies the update primarily by version number rather than presenting one date as a universal release time.