Kena: Bridge of Spirits is coming to Nintendo Switch 2 in spring 2026. Ember Lab's story-driven action adventure, which first launched on PlayStation in September 2021, arrives feature complete with the Anniversary DLC and New Game+ mode. The game is also available on PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4, and Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One.
Players take on the role of Kena, a young spirit guide searching for the sacred Mountain Shrine. Her path leads through a forgotten village where spirits remain trapped, unable to move on, and a strange corruption has taken hold of what was once a thriving environment. Kena's job is to untangle the past and restore balance, but she doesn't do it alone. The Rot, small spirit companions scattered throughout the forest, serve as both her team and her toolkit. These timid creatures maintain the natural order by decomposing dead and rotting elements, and the more of them you find hidden around the village, the more powerful their collective abilities become. You command the Rot directly in combat, using their powers alongside your own melee and ranged attacks to take on Corrupt Spirits that block your progress at every turn. Clearing corruption opens the world up further, turning the Rot from cute collectibles into something genuinely essential to how you fight and explore.
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Ember Lab was founded in 2009 by brothers Mike and Josh Grier as an independent studio based in California, with roots in film and animation. Kena: Bridge of Spirits was their debut title, and it won Best Independent Game and Best Debut Indie Game at The Game Awards 2021. The studio is currently working on their follow-up, Kena: Scars of Kosmora.
The story follows Kena's journey of self-discovery as she works to free the village's trapped spirits and piece together what happened to this place. The village itself holds secrets in every corner, with Spirit Mail left behind by lost spirits that unlocks new areas when delivered, and hidden Rot Hats that let you customize your companions. Exploration rewards curiosity, tucking collectibles and narrative details into the environment for players willing to look carefully.
Combat sits at the faster end of the action adventure spectrum, asking you to balance your own skill upgrades with the Rot's growing abilities. Spirit Guide Trials offer dedicated challenges including wave defences, obstacle courses, and the chance to revisit boss fights, all designed to sharpen your combat and reward mastery with unlockable outfits for Kena. Charmstones add another layer of customization, providing advantages and disadvantages that let you shape your playstyle. New Game+ carries all previously unlocked abilities, upgrades, outfits, and Rot into a fresh run with redesigned combat encounters and unique enemies that push harder than the first time through.
The Nintendo Switch 2 version includes all of this content from day one. For a game built around collecting small spirits in a cursed forest, there's a surprising amount of teeth in the combat waiting beneath that charming surface.