Not only are all three Xenoblade Chronicles games getting meaty Switch 2 upgrades, but the series is getting a soft reboot with Xenoblade Genesis.
There were already suspicions of Xenoblade Chronicles 2 receiving a Nintendo Switch 2 upgrade at some point, but today’s Nintendo Direct revealed that developer Monolith Soft has been even busier than expected.
Not only are all three mainline Xenoblade Chronicles games seeing Switch 2 ports (following the Xenoblade Chronicles X port earlier this year), but a brand new sequel is on the way too.
Titled Xenoblade Genesis, details are still slim (the teaser trailer didn’t even have English voice-acting), but it’s already scheduled as a Switch 2 exclusive for 2027.
The trailer promises a giant open world to explore, as is series tradition, but it looks like the world folds in on itself, Inception style, as you can see land masses and the ocean stretching up into the sky.
The setting looks distinctly more fantasy inspired compared to previous entries, which had a twinge of sci-fi to them as well. We also couldn’t spot any distinctly Xenoblade iconography, like the recurring Nopon species.
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Considering the title, this could suggest Xenoblade Genesis is entirely unconnected to the previous games and is something of a soft reboot for the series.
This would make sense as Xenoblade Chronicles 3 was billed as the conclusion of the series’ ongoing storyline and series director Tetsuya Takahasi did suggest that any Xenoblade Chronicles 4 would be ‘vastly different’ to what came before.
The YouTube description backs this up, saying ‘A new beginning is dawning,’ though whether the combat will be different too is a question that still needs answering.
As for the Switch 2 ports for the previous games, all three will launch throughout the rest of 2026. The release dates are as follows:
- Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition – Today digitally, July 30 physically
- Xenoblade Chronicles 2 – July 30 digitally, October 1 physically
- Xenoblade Chronicles 3 – December 3 digitally and physically
As with previous Switch 2 Editions, anyone who owns the original Switch 1 versions can purchase upgrade packs.
Aside from supporting 60 frames per second in both docked and handheld mode (plus 4K resolution in docked mode), each game is receiving new content as well.
This includes new side quests, new voiced cut scenes, and entirely new gameplay modes, which is far more than anyone would’ve expected from these upgrades.
At the time of writing, no prices for the upgrade packs have been made available but given the amount of new content they’re adding, they’re bound to be more expensive than the Xenoblade Chronicles X upgrade, which only costs £4.99 and is just a performance boost.
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