Witchbrook Reverses Course: Switch 1 and Switch 2 Crossplay Will Be Ready at Launch on January 28
Aspiring witches still playing on Nintendo's original hybrid console will not have to upgrade their hardware just to join their friends on enrollment day. After initially suggesting that inter-generational multiplayer would require a post-launch patch, publisher Chucklefish and co-developer Robotality have officially reversed course: Witchbrook will support full crossplay between Nintendo Switch 1 and Nintendo Switch 2 right at launch on January 28, 2027.
From Post-Launch Delay to Day One Confirmation on the Official Witchbrook Discord
The confusion began shortly after the late-October Nintendo Indie World showcase, where Witchbrook locked in its January 28, 2027 release date and $24.99 price tag. Answering questions from fans on the official Witchbrook Discord server following the broadcast, a member of the development team originally stated that cross-generational play between the first Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo Switch 2 would not be ready on Day One, and would instead arrive in a later update.
Just days later, the studio stepped in to correct the record with much better news for prospective students. In a direct follow-up statement shared on the official Discord server, the team confirmed: "Update: Switch 1 and 2 will be able to play together." The reversal ensures that Nintendo's entire hybrid player base will share unified online matchmaking from the moment the campus gates open in January.
What Switch 1 and Switch 2 Crossplay Means for 4-Player Co-Op in Mossport
For a cozy magical life-sim and RPG built around shared campus routines, having Day One crossplay between Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 removes a major hurdle for friend groups. Up to four players in online co-op can form a single coven without worrying about who has transitioned to Nintendo's newer console and who is still playing on the 2017 hardware.
Whether booting up the game on a first-generation Switch or a Switch 2, co-op companions will be able to experience every facet of seaside life in Mossport and Witchbrook College detailed on the official Witchbrook website:
- Attend Arcane Classes Together: Master active spellcasting, brew potions, study astrology and tarot, and tackle seasonal exams under the watchful eye of Witchbrook College's ghostly Chancellor, "The Deadmaster."
- Explore Mossport by Broomstick: Soar across coastal rooftops, ancient woodland ruins, and bustling docklands as a four-player squad while taking part in seasonal town festivals.
- Customize Your Woodland Cottage: Renovate your late Aunt's two-story cottage and garden with over 600 color-swap furniture items from Harbour Home, while building friendships or romances with fellow covenmates like Kiara Chandra, Leif, and Evadne.
Multiplatform Launch Set for January 28, 2027 at $24.99
While seamless cross-generation play across the Nintendo Switch family is now locked in for Day One, Chucklefish has yet to clarify whether full cross-platform multiplayer will extend across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox ecosystems at launch. As one of the standout early headliners on the 2027 video game release calendar, Witchbrook is set for a simultaneous multiplatform debut:
| Feature | Confirmed Official Details |
|---|---|
| Global Release Date | January 28, 2027 |
| Developers / Publisher | Chucklefish & Robotality (PS5 port with playeverywhere) |
| Day One Platforms | Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One (Game Pass Day One), PC |
| Confirmed Day One Crossplay | Up to 4-player online co-op between Nintendo Switch 1 and Nintendo Switch 2 |
| Price & Localization | $24.99 Digital / 10 languages supported at launch |
Check Witchbrook deals on Allkeyshop→
My Perspective
Chucklefish reversing course on this so quickly is a massive relief for my own co-op plans. For a cozy social RPG like Witchbrook, splitting up friend groups across console generations on launch night would have been a real buzzkill. Not everyone in a four-player co-op squad upgrades their hardware at the exact same pace, and telling a friend still playing on their original Switch that they cannot join your Mossport coven until a post-launch patch drops would have soured the magic of launch week. Locking in Day One crossplay between Switch 1 and Switch 2 at a fair $24.99 price point ensures nobody gets left behind when classes start on January 28.
Based on the outskirts of New York City, Chaya 'Chayane' spent five years studying software engineering in Montreal before returning to her home state. A Full-Stack developer and Deep Learning AI architecture researcher, she explores neural networks and algorithmic optimization while engineering data pipelines for Retrocharting and Gamescharting alongside Grimtag. A gamer for over 20 years and an avid collector of Nintendo history and The Legend of Zelda, she explored World of Warcraft's Azeroth before bringing her deep technical background to video game analysis.
