Skip to main content

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is coming two months early

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 got a big bump to its release date today. In an announcement made via Nintendo of America’s official Twitter account, the company revealed that the latest entry in the Japanese role-playing game series is now hitting the Nintendo Switch on July 29. It was originally set to launch in September.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 - Release Date Revealed – Nintendo Switch

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 originally was announced during Nintendo’s February Direct, where it was given that initial September 2022 release date. Nintendo didn’t cite a specific reason for this rather substantial launch date bump, and simply stated that fans will be able to play “sooner than expected.”

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is the latest game in the somewhat confusing Xeno series. The franchise started on PlayStation 1 with Xenogears, jumped to PlayStation 2 with Xenosaga, and is now a Nintendo exclusive with Xenoblade 1, 2, and 3.

An accompanying trailer for the title shows off more about the story, characters, and the new strategic battle system. The battle system in particular seems like a step up from previous titles, allowing players to control up to seven party members during enemy encounters.

The case of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and its “negative delay” is a rare case when it comes to gaming as of late. Nintendo recently pushed back the release date of its upcoming strategy role-playing game, Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp to an undisclosed date due to Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. The game originally was to release on December 3, 2021, but was pushed to April 8, 2022, and now is awaiting a hopefully final release date.

Players can return to the Xenoblade series with this fresh title earlier than expected on July 29 on Nintendo Switch.

Editors' Recommendations

DeAngelo Epps
De'Angelo Epps is a gaming writer passionate about the culture, communities, and industry surrounding gaming. His work ranges…
Super Mario RPG is getting a full Switch remake, and it’s coming this year
Mario, Mallow, and Bowser using lightning attacks in Mario RPG.

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars is getting a full-on remake for the Nintendo Switch -- and it's  coming this year. The new remake of the game got announced during today's Nintendo Direct, along with its November 17 release date, meaning yet another big title is joining the late 2023 launch party.

Super Mario RPG (Remake) Trailer | Nintendo Direct 2023

Read more
You saw it coming: Persona 3 and Persona 5 Tactica officially revealed
Persona 3 Reload

Atlus revealed Persona 3 Reload, a remake of the 2006 Persona 3 game, as well as Persona 5 Tactica, a strategy game title, during the Xbox Games Showcase.

The former is set for an early 2024 release, while the latter will launch on November 17. Both games will be included in Xbox Game Pass. Persona 3 Reload is a full remake in the style of Persona 5, while Persona 5 Tactica is a tactics-like game with Chibi-like cartoon graphics similar to the Persona Q and Q2 games released for Nintendo 3DS.

Read more
When does Hogwarts Legacy come out on Nintendo Switch?
A student waving a wand in Hogwarts Legacy.

Hogwarts Legacy is the latest and greatest adventure in the magical Harry Potter universe. Set in the 1800s, the story focuses on a generic fifth-year student who’s tasked with taking down a brewing Goblin rebellion in-between their school duties. For Potterheads of all ages, a game that allows them to traverse the halls of Hogwarts, learn their favorite spells from the books and films, and fight enemies like dark wizards, trolls, and dragons is an absolute dream.

The game launched on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC in February. While reviews were mixed across the board, longtime fans jumped into the wizarding world in droves — over 15 million copies of the game have been sold to date. Unfortunately, players on the top-tier consoles were the only ones who had access to the game for a while. Instead of launching on all platforms simultaneously, Hogwarts Legacy's release has been staggered.

Read more