In an unexpected turn, Square Enix has announced a brand-new game in theOctopath Travelerseries. Except, wait, no. Notquite. Octopath Traveler 0, revealed during today’s Nintendo Partner Direct, isostensiblya premium-priced and completely-offline port of the series' mobile gacha game,Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent.
It’s not quite that simple though - this is more of a fully reimagined adaptation. We’ll have more on that in a sec, but in any case, it’s coming to Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 on December 4.
Separate from the Direct, Square Enix has confirmed that Octopath Traveler 0 is also coming to PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam and Windows.
Predictably, A Prequel
Champions of the Continent is a prequel set long before the events of the original Octopath Traveler. Recent updates have begun to tell a similarly before-times tale in the world of theexcellentOctopath Traveler 2. But again, this looks mighty different, which is probably for the best. And it’s definitely centered on the OT1 content - that much is clear.
In one curious and probably-smart change, it seems that Octopath Traveler 0’s protagonist will have a pre-defined origin story. In Champions of the Continent, they’re enough of a blank slate to lack anything definitive. The footage in the trailer we’ve linked above goes into all that, and we’ll update this article as more information becomes available.
And here’s Square Enix’s official description:
“This exciting entry to the series brings all-new features and returning core elements from the series, including the series’ iconic HD-2D graphics blending retro pixel art and 3D CG art, Path Actions to interact with other characters in various ways, the Break and Boost battle system which can turn the tide of battle, and more. And for the first time in series history, fans will play through the eyes of their own customized protagonist and be able to rebuild their hometown after great destruction is brought to it. Embark on a journey of your own creation.”
There’s a town-building mode, which is rad. And we’ve got a solid bead on just how much - or rather, how little - of Champions of the Continent’s DNA is in here, too.Via a Square Enix blog post:
“If you played the mobile title, OCTOPATH TRAVELER: Champions of the Continent, the game’s setup may sound a little familiar. That’s because OCTOPATH TRAVELER 0 is inspired by story elements and gameplay ideas from that game.”
“This new entry in the OCTOPATH TRAVELER series has been designed as full-fledged console and PC RPG. It takes the acclaimed story from the mobile release but reworks it to add new story content and streamlines the overall story for a more compelling experience.”
