[MCPE-239681] Unable to add additional split screen players without a Nintendo account

When playing a world, if you try to join in another person into the world (via the splitscreen feature), and that profile doesn’t have a nintendo account, the game will try to log in the player but kick them out before they join. Additionally, it takes 15-20 seconds before it actually trys to log in the player after selecting the proflile, but only if it’s the accountless profile. For the prior 5 years of playing on the switch, no account has been needed to join.

The profile hosting the world does not need an account to have players join, it’s only a problem when trying to join a world that you need an account.

Because of this, any items that were in the enderchest or inventory of the now unable to join players are lost.

Linked issues

is duplicated by 9

MCPE-239733 Split screen not working Resolved

MCPE-239699 3 player split screen not working on switch 2 Resolved

MCPE-239695 3 player split screen drops to 2 players after latest update Resolved

MCPE-239751 Split screen not working on Nintendo Switch Resolved

MCPE-239755 Nintendo Switch Split-Screen Bug After Update 1.26.30 Resolved

4 more links

Attachments

Comments 26

Gina 2026-06-17T02:53:56Z

we purposely keep ours off-line for kids other than updates, so requiring a profile when one was. Not needed before, for kids who can’t have a profile, is a real problem. Or if we try to add a guest who is over and they don’t have a want a profile- what now?

Cristal 2026-06-18T00:21:29Z

I can confirm I am experiencing the same issue on a regular Nintendo Switch after updating to Minecraft 1.26.30.

Four-player local split-screen was working normally prior to the update. After updating, Players 1 and 2 can join without issue, but any attempt to add a Player 3 or Player 4 fails. The controller is recognized, the profile selection screen appears, and the game appears to start loading the player before immediately returning to a 2-player game.

I have confirmed this occurs in both existing worlds and newly created worlds. Restarting the Switch and reinstalling Minecraft did not resolve the issue.

Cristal 2026-06-18T00:23:20Z

Issue Description:

Prior to updating to version 1.26.30, local split-screen multiplayer worked correctly with 4 players on a single Nintendo Switch while docked to a TV.

Immediately after updating to version 1.26.30, the game no longer allows a third or fourth player to join any world.

Behavior:

Player 1 loads into the world normally.
Player 2 joins normally.
When Player 3 attempts to join, the game recognizes the controller and allows profile selection.
After selecting a profile, the game appears to begin loading Player 3, but immediately returns to a 2-player game.
No error message is displayed.
The same issue occurs for Player 4.
Any user profile can join as Player 2, but no user profile can join as Player 3 or Player 4.
The "+" icon appears for joining players, and the game proceeds to profile selection before failing.
Multiplayer settings are now grayed out and cannot be selected, which was not occurring prior to the update.

Troubleshooting Completed:

Restarted Nintendo Switch.
Fully powered off Nintendo Switch.
Confirmed all controllers are connected and recognized.
Tested multiple user profiles.
Tested multiple controllers.
Created brand-new worlds after the update.
Tested existing worlds.
Deleted and reinstalled Minecraft.
Verified the issue occurs in every world.
Confirmed the issue occurs regardless of which user is Player 1 or Player 2.
Confirmed Players 3 and 4 can successfully join as Player 2 if Player 2 does not join, indicating the issue is specifically related to the third and fourth split-screen slots.

Result:
The game appears to be limited to 2-player split-screen after updating to version 1.26.30. Four-player split-screen was functioning correctly before the update. The issue began immediately after installing version 1.26.30 and affects all worlds, including newly created worlds.

This issue started immediately after updating to version 1.26.30 and was not present the day before the update. No changes were made to the Nintendo Switch, controllers, user profiles, or world settings between the last successful 4-player session and the update.

Please investigate whether version 1.26.30 introduced a Nintendo Switch split-screen bug affecting Players 3 and 4 and causing multiplayer settings to become unavailable.

MJL 2026-06-18T07:28:56Z

Similar issue. Player one joins with nintendo account and microsoft log in. Player 2 joins with just nintendo account. Pluaer three trys to join with just a nintendo account, screen flashes like it is about to go to 3 player but then goes back to 2 player.

[Mojang] Triage Team 2026-06-18T08:40:01Z

This issue has been reviewed by our team.

Please add new, relevant information if it helps us understand or reproduce the issue. To show that you’re affected, use the vote feature rather than commenting.

If a fix is implemented, it will be listed in our official changelogs.

For major outages or urgent assistance, visit the Minecraft Help Center.

16 more comments

Dillon 2026-06-18T13:24:47Z

I hope the Mojang team agrees that limiting a game, albeit possibly by accident, that is clearly being advertised as being 1-4 players on a local system, is worthy of an immediate fix. If it cannot, please consider providing a means of requesting a refund, alerting Nintendo that the latest version of the game cannot actually be played with 3-4 players on the same system, as well as adding a big note to the release notes of 1.26.30 or considering pulling the patch.

Personally, as a software engineer I understand bugs happen. But, for one of the most popular video games, from one of the biggest companies in the world, to not properly test if such a crucial, advertised-on-the-box, feature is working correctly with a new update is honestly mind blowing.

Cadin L 2026-06-18T14:18:55Z

Agreed, if the game doesn't support 1-4 players anymore, I would like to request a refund.

Joakim R 2026-06-18T15:53:07Z

Having same problem on nintendo switch bedrock when trying to add second player+controller (split screen). The split screen reverts to one player instantly without any messages.

Duffy Mahogany 2026-06-18T16:57:13Z

I’ve done a little more testing, and I’ve been able to get three players logged in at the same time. They just have to be profiles with nintendo accounts to be able to join at all.

Cadin L 2026-06-18T17:12:10Z

Yep, i tried that and it worked. But i don't want to have to create a Nintendo account for each player?

Gio 2026-06-18T18:07:27Z

Have the same issue, our kids (and us) are distraught! Would linking profiles to Nintendo account fix?

Tom Burgoyne 2026-06-18T19:51:09Z

Yeah same issue. Will only do split screen when a Nintendo account is present. My kids don't need a Nintendo account.

Cadin L 2026-06-18T22:05:36Z

So what i did was went to each of the profiles on the Switch then press “Link to nintendo account” then followed all the instructions to doing so. Then I only added the players profiles that had nintendo accounts linked. And that worked! I just hope they fix it so O dont have to connect every profile.

Duffy Mahogany 2026-06-18T22:46:04Z

I would wait to see if they will fix it somewhat soon, before considering connecting accounts.

If you still want to play while waiting for them to fix it, what I’ve done is started a new world on a profile without an account, and joined the profiles with accounts to play. The reason to why I’m hosting the world on an accountless profile is so you can maximize profiles that can join. Because if your were to host it on a world with an account, you’re wasting a profile that could join.

Also, be careful connecting accounts, because from my experience, if you link an account to a profile, but then disconect it from the profile, you can’t link a new account to that same profile.

Niall Begley 2026-06-18T22:56:04Z

Seeing the same issue - linking nintendo accounts fixed it but not ideal, obviously

Duffy Mahogany 2026-06-18T23:19:28Z

I think this glitch is a side effect of them patching another glitch.
Before the chaos cubed update, the game didn’t know any of the player names. I believe name tags would show up, but for example, if you were to imput a name of someone who's playing into a command that would effect them, TPing, giving items etc, it wouldn’t work. And in chat, when you press the command list with daytime change, set worldspawn, weather, and Teleport, when you select Teleport, the who and to where tabs show the profile icon when selected, but no names appear next to them.

This is the menu I am refering to. I got this image from IGN minecraft guide “How to teleport.”

So I believe because they fixed this glitch, it now prevents profiles that have no account from joining, which is why only accounts that would be “verified” by having an account can join. Because instead of fixing it so the names appear by actually fixing the problem they just prevented any profile with a buggy name from joining, or something like that. That’s just my theory, it might be wrong.

Tom Burgoyne 2026-06-20T14:08:18Z

Hi, looking for some info or support. Since the update my kids aren't able to play split screen. It only works if one of them play's as their mum's profile (Nintendo account holder). We all used to play together (two kids and Dad) without needing their mum's profile being used. Also even with Mums profile being used we cant play 3 player split screen and only have 2 player split screen.

Duffy Mahogany 2026-06-20T16:35:29Z

From what I know, that is basically all you can do without making a new nintendo accout.

So at least for the moment, the only ways I know to “fix” the problem are make a new account, or just wait and hope they fix it soon. Which, the more votes this post gets, the more likely they will be to fix it.

Personally I’m waiting for them to fix it.

Cadin L 2026-06-20T17:33:12Z

If they fix it

Northern wizard 2026-06-20T19:27:49Z

Same issue here unfortunately. Tried everything from resetting every thing. Reinstalling. Different worlds. Different controllers and in different combinations. Same issue. It’s got to be the update.

Cadin L 2026-06-20T20:07:34Z

Did you try the Nintendo account linking? It worked for us

MJL 2026-06-21T12:43:11Z

A fix that worked for me… I can now play 3 player split screen.

On a web browser (phone or computer) log into your Nintendo account and create a family group.

Create new child accounts for your children within this family group.

On your switch go to your existing Nintendo profiles for your kids and click link accounts. Ensure you scan the QR code for linking as signing in manually did not allow me the option to select a child from my family group. Select the relevant child from the family group and type in the code displayed on the web browser into your switch. They should link. Do this for all children.

You should be able to play more than two player split screen now.

To be clear this was done all under one email address of an adult. No new Nintendo accounts either new email addresses were created.

Mig L 2026-06-21T18:21:15Z

Thank you MJL. That fix worked for me on a Switch 2. After update 26.30, we had this problem. After logging in to my Nintendo account on a webbrowser, creating two accounts under Family option, and then linking those accounts to their User accounts, it allowed 3 players and split screen. Much appreciated.

Gina 2026-06-21T19:52:20Z

There is no longer a way to play with 4 players

JB 2026-06-25T01:01:11Z

Same issue on our switch. Workaround: Create new Switch user profiles linked to separate Nintendo child accounts in a Family Group. Using these profiles allows Player 3 to remain connected. Existing Switch users linked to the same Nintendo Account still exhibit the bug.

Filipe Roberto Tavares 2026-06-30T13:38:50Z

still cant play in 3 or 4 players 😞