Nintendo has announced that the highly anticipated release of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is scheduled for July 29, 2022 for the Nintendo Switch.

Initially scheduled for a September 2022 release date, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is now launching 2 months earlier than expected, which is good news for fans that are waiting for the game.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Special Edition

Nintendo has also announced that a special edition for Xenoblade Chronicles 3 will release exclusively on the My Nintendo Store, so fans looking forward to this one being more widely available will surely be disappointed. More details about pre-orders for the special edition will be announced soon.

The special edition contains the following items:

• Base Game
• Steelbook
• 250-Page Artbook
• Package with artwork by Masatsugu Saito

Here are additional details provided by Nintendo regarding the the game:

The latest entry in the long-running role-playing series, which connects the futures of the two previous mainline Xenoblade Chronicles games, invites players to embark on an epic adventure with “life” as its central theme.

In the game, players will step into the roles of protagonists Noah and Mio amid turmoil between the nations of Keves and Agnus. Six characters hailing from those nations join forces to learn the truth behind their conflict, and set their sights for Swordsmarch, a land pierced by a giant sword.

The new trailer for the game reveals the background of the group’s journey in Aionios, a vast and sublime natural world, and reveals new details about the battle system:

Battle With Up to Seven Characters – Like in previous Xenoblade Chronicles games, battles start by facing enemies directly in the overworld. Players can control Noah’s party of six, as well as additional characters they’ll meet during the adventure. Each character has their own role in battle, which allows for diverse strategies.

Class Change – Noah is a Swordfighter, specializing in close-range attacks, while Mio is a Zephyr, drawing enemy attention while evading their strikes. Thus, each character has their own class with their own strengths. Progressing in the adventure, players can change characters’ classes, creating a customized party.

New Interlink System – Each of the tag-team pairs—Noah and Mio, Lanz and Sena, Eunie and Taion—can make use of the Interlink system if certain conditions are met. They will then combine into a giant form called Ouroboros. Each Ouroboros has its own powerful move set, and deciding when to transform can be the key to winning a battle.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is now scheduled to release on July 29, 2022 for the Nintendo Switch.