Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Coming Earlier Than Expected; New Trailer Reveals July Release Date

Nintendo has revealed a new date for Xenoblade Chronicles 3. The RPG developed by Monolithsoft is actually coming two months earlier than previously announced. Instead of the September window, it’ll be available on Switch on July 29. A new trailer was also shared, showing some gameplay and story bits.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 tells the story of protagonists Noah and Mio contending with a conflict between the nations of Keves, and Agnus. 6 characters will be the crux of the experience, and the broad concept of “life” will be the title’s central theme. Additional seven characters will also be available during specific moments of the journey.

The narrative for the game will tie in elements and plotlines from the future of the prior two mainline games, Xenoblade Chronicles and Xenoblade Chronicles 2. Flutes seem to play an integral role in the title’s premise.  The new trailer reveals characters have a mighty Ouroboros form, which allows them to assume the form of powerful oversized entities in battle.

The summoning of this powerful new form depends on a new Interlink system. If specific conditions are met, characters can combine into this mech, and choosing well when to transform should be key to the more difficult battles. Another system revealed is a class change option, allowing players to customize their parties’ builds further than previous games.

Besides the normal edition, a Special Edition will also be available exclusively on the My Nintendo Store. It includes a SteelBook case and a full-color Art Book with more than 250 pages. This physical edition of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 also has a special cover drawn by Masatsugu Saito.

New screenshots have been revealed via Famitsu, viewable below:

Nintendo Japan has shared 38 new screenshots for the game, viewable below. A few are repeats from Famitsu’s coverage.