In a hefty blog post, Yacht Club Games revealed that the retro side-scroller will launch on Switch this spring. A response to a question in the comments section revealed that the Switch version is currently only planned as a digital download. Despite rumors of the Switch’s limited hard drive space, a digital-only version of Shovel Knight shouldn’t be much of an issue for interested gamers. The Wii U version of Shovel Knight was just 184 MB.
Yacht Club Games will also change the name of Shovel Knight to Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove, which will include the original adventure, as well as Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows, and the upcoming Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment. The original game’s name has also been modified to Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope, to keep up with the subtitled naming convention.
If you haven’t played Shovel Knight yet and want to, you should buy it as soon as possible. Come spring, when Shovel Knight officially transitions to Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove, the price of the game will increase from $15 to an undetermined price. If you buy it now, your copy of the game will automatically be rebranded as Treasure Trove, ensuring that you receive all current and upcoming Shovel Knight content for free.
Treasure Trove will coincide with the release of Specter of Torment, a prequel to the original. By the looks of it, Switch players will automatically have to pay the increased price.
Players will also have the option to buy each of the three Shovel Knight campaigns as stand-alone experiences. Individual prices for the campaigns have not been set.
The release of Treasure Trove promises to bring a smattering of new content as well. Along with the upcoming expansion. A new game mode called “Body Swap Mode” will be available in the campaign. Character sprites of major characters will, quite literally, swap body parts to mix up the aesthetic. Two-player cooperative play, previously only available on Wii U, will arrive on Xbox One, PS4, Ps3, PC, and the new Switch port. Unfortunately, the 3DS and Vita versions will not receive this update.
In addition, a four-player battle mode and a fourth campaign revolving around King Knight are planned for release later this year.
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