The April window closed, but the rumor didn't die
Leaker NateTheHate had a specific claim: a new Star Fox game for the Nintendo Switch 2 would be revealed in April. April came and went. No announcement. No Fox McCloud. Nothing.
So naturally, people started asking questions. Was the game ever real? Did Nintendo feed false information to smoke out whoever was leaking? NateTheHate answered those questions directly on Twitter on April 30, and his response was unambiguous: "I do not doubt the game's existence. Several outlets/people have spoken on the game beyond me, as well."
He also copped to the miss on timing: "Timing for reveal was off the mark and wrong. That's a miss by me." In a follow-up post, he added that “sharing specific timing was an error in retrospect and I should have left it simply as the game was coming this year.”
Fox McCloud in Smash Bros
Why this particular leaker's credibility matters here
Here's the thing about NateTheHate: he has a real track record with Nintendo specifically. He's the one who accurately called the random afternoon Nintendo would reveal the Switch 2, which is not the kind of thing you get right by guessing. He also had correct information on subsequent Nintendo Direct timings and, more recently, leaked summer release windows for both Rhythm Heaven Groove and Splatoon Raiders before Nintendo officially confirmed both games were launching in July.
That context matters. Missing on the Star Fox reveal timing is a real dent, but it doesn't erase the pattern of accuracy that built his reputation in the first place.
The other notable detail is that he's not the only one claiming this game exists. Multiple outlets and sources have reportedly spoken to the same rumor independently. That's a harder thing to dismiss than a single anonymous post.
NateTheHate's Star Fox timing miss doesn't mean the game was fabricated. Several independent sources have reportedly corroborated the game's existence, according to the leaker.
A franchise that's been quiet for a decade
Star Fox hasn't had a proper new release since Star Fox Zero in 2016, and that game is not exactly remembered fondly. Platinum Games built it as an Arwing shooter with a mandatory two-screen control setup that split your attention between the TV and the GamePad in a way that felt more like a chore than a feature. The game was effectively a Star Fox 64 remake with a gimmick that didn't work, and Nintendo has said nothing about the franchise since.
Ten years of silence is a long time. The franchise has always been experimental, sometimes to its detriment. Star Fox Adventures turned Fox McCloud into a Zelda-style adventure protagonist. Star Fox Assault mixed on-foot and Arwing sections. Star Fox Command went full strategy. None of them landed the way Star Fox 64 did, and Zero's failure seemed to put the whole series in a holding pattern.
Star Fox Zero's divisive dual-screen setup
Fox McCloud's surprise movie cameo added fuel to the fire
The timing of this rumor didn't emerge in a vacuum. Fox McCloud recently appeared in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, a crossover that surprised fans given the two franchises have never overlapped in their actual games. It's the kind of move Nintendo makes when it wants to reintroduce a character to a wider audience before doing something bigger with them. Whether that was intentional setup or just a fun cameo is anyone's guess, but it definitely reignited public interest in Star Fox at exactly the right moment for these leaks to land.
For Star Fox fans specifically, the combination of that movie appearance and multiple sources backing the Switch 2 game rumor has made the wait feel more like a delay than a dead end.
The Nintendo false-flag theory
Some corners of the internet, particularly on Reddit's r/GamingLeaksAndRumours, have floated the idea that Nintendo deliberately planted the Star Fox information to discredit NateTheHate's other leaks, particularly the rumored Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake for Switch 2. The logic being that if Nintendo could make one high-profile leak look wrong, it casts doubt on everything else he's said.
It's a theory worth noting, but it has an obvious problem. Two of NateTheHate's other specific claims from the same batch of leaks, the July release dates for Rhythm Heaven Groove and Splatoon Raiders, turned out to be accurate. If Nintendo was running a disinformation campaign, it wasn't a particularly effective one.
The more straightforward explanation is that announcement timing shifted internally at Nintendo. That happens. Games get delayed, reveal windows get pushed, marketing plans change. NateTheHate himself suggested plans may have changed on Nintendo's end.
What this means for Star Fox fans going forward
Right now, the situation is: a leaker with a solid track record missed a specific timing window but maintains the game exists, and says he's not alone in that belief. Nintendo has confirmed nothing. The franchise hasn't had a new entry in about 10 years.
The key here is that NateTheHate's other Switch 2 predictions for 2026 are still playing out. If the Ocarina of Time remake or other rumored titles start materializing, that lends more weight to the Star Fox claim by association. If the rest of his 2026 predictions fall apart, then the whole picture looks shakier.
For now, Star Fox fans are in a familiar position: waiting on Nintendo to say something, with just enough smoke to keep the hope alive. You'll want to keep an eye on the Nintendo Today app and any upcoming Nintendo Directs, since that's where announcements like this typically land first.
For more Nintendo news and gaming coverage, check out the latest gaming news at GAMES.GG, and browse latest reviews to stay up to date on what's worth playing on Switch 2 right now.
