The reveal of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 was certainly one of the biggest surprises from the February 2022 Nintendo Direct. Nintendo closed out the presentation with an announcement trailer for the upcoming RPG, giving us a look at some of the characters, the world, and a release window. Even though the long-awaited sequel won’t be playable for a while, there’s quite a bit of information about it available. Here’s everything you need to know about Xenoblade Chronicles 3.

When is the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 release date?

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is confirmed for July 29, 2022. This amendment to its release date was announced during its second trailer, which came out on April 19, 2022.

Nintendo originally planned to launch Xenoblade Chronicles 3 in September 2022, as confirmed during the game’s announcement trailer. Numerous reports hinted toward the game’s existence way before its official reveal during the February 2022 Direct. In fact, Fanbyte relayed that actress Jenna Coleman, who played Melia in the first Xenoblade Chronicles game, was sure developer Monolith Soft was working on another installment in 2021.

Nintendo didn’t say what led to an earlier release date for Xenoblade Chronicles 3. One thing’s for sure: Fans aren’t complaining about getting to enjoy the game earlier than expected.

What are the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 platforms?

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 will be exclusive to Nintendo Switch. Fanbyte claims the game is aiming to be bigger and denser than past entries. They want more character models on the screen than ever for the series finale. This is in line with the rest of the Xenoblade games, which have all been exclusive to Nintendo platforms, including the 3DS, Wii, Wii U, and Switch.

What’s the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 story?

In Xenoblade Chronicles 3, you’ll take on the roles of protagonists Noah and Mio, who will journey across the world of Aionios. This locale is home to two nations that are at war with one another, including Keves and Agnus. Their team is made up of people from both sides of the border, which seems to have put them on the run from both countries.

The war between the two countries and a mysterious power called Ouroboros seems to be at the center of the plot. In the release date trailer, the gang squares off a girl who apparently used to be one of their friends. Noah and Mio are also shown to fuse together into a dark purple monster of sorts to take on enemies. They aren’t the only ones who can do it, either.

Nintendo and Monolith Soft are keeping story details under wraps, but we know Xenoblade Chronicles 3 will tie directly to the previous two installments. We also know “life” will be a main theme throughout the game. According to Fanbyte, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 will be the conclusion to the trilogy that began with Xenoblade Chronicles.

Nintendo will likely release story trailers as we get closer to the game’s release.

Who are the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 characters?

A handful of cast members were confirmed for Xenoblade Chronicles 3, though Nintendo likely has more characters to reveal.

These are the six main characters confirmed for Xenoblade Chronicles 3:

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

The release date trailer also showed these characters in the game’s combat menu: Riku, Manana, Zeon, and Valdi. They appear in some of the story cutscenes, too. In that case, they seem important enough to the story to warrant a playable role, even if they aren’t part of the main cast.

From Coleman’s knowledge of Xenoblade Chronicles 3, we can assume her character Princess Melia Antiqua also makes an appearance in the upcoming game. The character also starred in the Future Connected addition from Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition.

Other characters that will be involved are currently unknown. Considering the lifespans of characters we know from Xenoblade Chronicles 2, it’s likely we’ll see people like Pyra, Mythra, Nia, Dromarch, Poppi, Zeke, and Pandori return in the upcoming game.

What do we know about Xenoblade Chronicles 3 music?

Monolith Soft confirmed that Xenoblade Chronicles 3 will incorporate a “unique” touch, including the implementation of a flute for the main motif. According to director Tetsuya Takahashi “the flute is actually one of the key themes in this game.” More musical elements will be shown off as the game gets closer to launch. Takahashi also said that the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 announcement trailer was full of hidden themes, and presumably, these musical elements will have significance to the narrative.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is confirmed for July 29, 2022.