Xenoblade Chronicles 3: New release date, gameplay reveal, and more

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 by Monolith Soft was originally going to release in September 2022 but has had its release date preponed to July 2022.

The highly-anticipated Nintendo Switch RPG is coming sooner than expected and even has some gameplay footage to show off.

Fans were also made aware of where the pre-order for the special edition of the game will be and its contents. It’s an exciting time for fans of the Xenoblade Chronicles franchise.

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Xenoblade Chronicles 3 has release date pushed forward to July 2022

Instead of Xenoblade Chronicles 3’s September release date, it has now been moved to July 29, 2022. In it, Noah and his friends are on the run, branded as “Monsters” by the two nations the characters are from.

In the world of Aionios, there are two major powers that are hostile to one another. Keves is a powerhouse focused on mechanical technology, and Agnus focused their research on "Ether", a magical technology.

This game brings the futures of both Xenoblade Chronicles and Xenoblade Chronicles 2 together, where conflict and battle await.

The trailer also teases the six soldiers who will come together in the game. Noah and Mio are the two primary protagonists, each from a different kingdom.

Main characters of Xenoblade Chronicles 3

• Noah: One of the primary protagonists, a soldier of Keves
• Lanz: Ally of Noah, who wields a great sword that is also a shield
• Eunie: Childhood friend of Noah and Lanz, specializes in healing
• Mio: The other main protagonist, a soldier of Agnus
• Taion: Mio's tactician
• Sena: An ally of Mio and Taion, petite but incredibly powerful

The new gameplay trailer reveals this bit of story information and teases the new "Ouroboros" forms. There are pairs of characters that can be combined into these giants, each with its own moveset.

Clever use of the Ouroboros forms can mean the difference between victory and defeat (Image via Monolith Soft)

As players journey across the vast world of Aionios, their characters will also have the potential to change their classes to further customize and change how players approach the game. This is the new Interlink system featured in the game.

Known Ouroboros pairings

• Noah and Mio
• Lanz and Sena
• Eunie and Taion

Knowing when and where to use these will be vital in succeeding in Xenoblade Chronicles 3's combat. The Ouroboros forms are enormous monsters, reminiscent of something one might find in Ultraman or Neon Genesis Evangelion. However, certain conditions need to be met before these Ouroboros transformations occur.

Full details about the special edition are not available yet (Image via Monolith Soft)

Like in previous games, battles begin by facing enemies in the overworld. Players will have six party members, so there will be plenty of possibilities for utilizing characters to gain a tactical advantage.

The game's release date has already been revealed, and a Special Edition was also teased. It will only be available on the My Nintendo Store and has special artwork by Masatsugu Saito, a Steelbook case, and a 250-page full-color hardcover artbook.

More details will be revealed about the special edition at a later date. Fortunately, fans of the Xenoblade Chronicles series won’t have to wait long since the release date was pushed forward to July 29, 2022.