It Takes Two Switch 2 release date: October 15, $39.99 and a free upgrade for Switch owners

The It Takes Two Switch 2 release date: what was confirmed

The It Takes Two Switch 2 release date is October 15, 2026. Electronic Arts and developer Hazelight Studios, working with Turn Me Up Games, announced the port during a Nintendo Direct on September 9, 2026, and the date is four days away as of this article. The Switch 2 version costs $39.99 for the standard edition. Owners of the original Nintendo Switch version can upgrade to it for free, and a free Friend's Pass lets a second player join without buying the game.

The date is not the same everywhere. Per the EA press release, the game launches on October 15 in most regions and on October 16 in Japan, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea. A Korean report from Inven Global dated September 28 gave October 15 for Korea, which conflicts with the press release, so Korean buyers should check the local eShop listing rather than rely on either date.

The announcement ended months of speculation. Earlier reports traced the date to a distributor document, but neither EA nor Hazelight had confirmed the port then. The September 9 press release is the first official word, and it is the source for the details below.

Price, the free upgrade and who pays what

The press release lists $39.99 for the standard Switch 2 edition, and says the game is also sold on Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC at $39.99. We checked the Steam store page this run and it also shows $39.99 with no discount. We did not find a separate price for a physical Switch 2 edition in the sources we opened, so we do not give one.

If you already own It Takes Two on the original Switch, the upgrade to the Switch 2 version costs nothing. The release says it requires an internet connection, a Nintendo Account and access to the eShop. The offer is not available in Japan, Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan, and the release notes that Japan has a small charge because of legal restrictions. Players in those regions should read their local store page before assuming the upgrade is free.

For anyone who bought the game on another platform, the Switch 2 version is a new purchase. Nothing in the announcement suggests save or ownership transfer from PlayStation, Xbox or PC, and we would not expect it.

How the It Takes Two Friend's Pass works on Switch 2

It Takes Two is built for exactly two players, and the Friend's Pass is the feature that keeps the price in check. One person owns the full game, and a partner can download the free Friend's Pass trial and play the whole co-op campaign with them. The press release says this needs the Friend's Pass free trial and a platform account, and that online play needs a friend on a supported platform.

In practice that means you can buy one copy and play the full game with someone who owns nothing. For a $39.99 game that pays for two people, this is the strongest argument for the port, and it is why the game has stayed on sale at a steady price rather than being a deep-discount staple. The same rule applies on every platform: one player must own the full game for the co-op partner to play the full game.

The press release also mentions GameShare support for connecting with Nintendo Switch players. We could not find further detail on how GameShare works for this game in the sources we opened, so check Nintendo's support pages before you plan a local session around it.

Cross-play and what the Switch 2 version improves

The Switch 2 version supports cross-platform play with PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PS4/PS5, per the press release. That matters for a two-player game because it removes the old problem of finding a partner on the same console. A Switch 2 owner can play with a friend on a PlayStation or a PC, as long as one of them owns the game.

EA and Hazelight say the Switch 2 version has higher resolution, improved frame rates and richer visual effects than the original Switch release. The Inven Global report adds one practical catch: a Switch 2 player must downgrade to the original Switch version to play with someone still on the original Switch. We have not played the port, so we cannot report resolution targets or frame rates, and the sources give no numbers. Treat the visual claims as the publisher's description until reviews arrive.

The game itself and why it keeps getting ports

It Takes Two casts two players as Cody and May, a married couple turned into dolls by a magic spell, who must work together to repair their relationship. Gematsu's coverage of the announcement describes varied challenges, such as rampaging vacuum cleaners and a suave love guru, and character abilities that connect across each new level. The press release says the game has won more than 90 awards, including The Game Awards and DICE Game of the Year.

The game launched on PC on March 25, 2021, per its Steam page, where it carries a Metacritic score of 89. It is a rare co-op-only title that has sold on a steady stream of ports, and the Switch 2 version is another chance to reach a family and couples audience that already owns Nintendo hardware. The 2021 release dates and review scores are from the Steam listing, not from our own testing.

What this means for buyers

If you own the Switch version, the decision is easy: take the free upgrade on or after October 15 and keep your save, provided your region is covered. If you own the game on PC or PlayStation and have a Switch 2, you have no reason to pay again unless you want to play away from a TV.

If you own nothing and have a Switch 2, this is a reasonable $39.99 purchase for two people, especially because the Friend's Pass covers your partner. The main unknowns are performance and how the upgrade works for physical copies, neither of which the sources cover. We will update this story if EA or Nintendo clarify either point.