Shovel Knight gets a name change, new modes and a Switch release

Shovel Knight is heading to the Nintendo Switch, developer Yacht Club Games announced. But when it launches on the platform later this year, the retro-style platformer will arrive with a new name, as well as a long-requested feature.

A release date hasn’t been announced yet. Instead, the developer detailed all the content Switch owners — and current Shovel Knight fans — can look forward to when the port launches.

The entire Shovel Knight saga will come to Nintendo Switch under a new name: Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove. That set will collect Shovel Knight and its two expansions, Plague of Shadows and the upcoming Specter of Torment, into a complete package. Anyone who currently owns the game on PC, PlayStation 4 or Xbox One will automatically get the Treasure Trove collection in their libraries, as well as all future updates to the game for free.

The original Shovel Knight release will be renamed as well, gaining a subtitle to distinguish it from the two follow-up expansions. Shovel Knight will now be known as Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope, and its price is going up alongside the rebranding. Yacht Club Games hasn’t said how much it or the standalone expansion campaigns, previously released as free updates, will cost.

Explaining the decision to sell the free expansions at a price, Yacht Club Games said that Shovel Knight “has simply gotten too big! It’s difficult for many players out there to find everything or even know that these campaigns exist. We believe that providing standalone versions will provide better entry points for different types of players and allow more people to continue enjoying each adventure on their next favorite platform.”

What will be free for all owners on console are several new features. The big one is a two-player local cooperative mode, which will be available on all platforms other than Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation Vita. Previously, this mode was exclusive to anyone who had a Wii U and the Shovel Knight amiibo, but an update will bring the little green Shovel Knight to everyone.

There’s also a body swap mode in the works, which switches up who’s wearing which suit of armor. A four-player battle mode is headed to consoles later in the year, as is a new campaign centered on King Knight.

Shovel Knight’s going on three years old this June, but Yacht Club Games remains dedicated to the cult favorite. The developer did promise that it will have a new, original game in the works this year as well, for those wondering.