I have played a lot of the Sword Art Online games, and I have enjoyed many of them, though I would not recommend many of them either. I even did a big article outlining the order of the games to understand the video game continuity of Sword Art Online. This newest unveiling of a Sword Art Online RPG, Echoes of Aincrad made me super excited.
This is a type of game that many, and I mean many, Sword Art Online fans have asked for. An RPG experience that is all about Aincrad and is not from the perspective of Kirito. We got a slice of that with the mobile game Integral Factor, but honestly, the mobile game is still limited by the fact that it is a mobile game. Putting budget, time, and resources into an action RPG experience about living and surviving Aincrad is a huge win for the Sword Art Online community. Based on something said in the press release we got from Bandai Namco Entertainment, it does look like they are going a Code Vein route in party building.
“Echoes of Aincrad features fast-paced RPG action with real-time combat, where players will be able to adapt and upgrade their equipment, weapons, and attributes, and select special skills to match their preferred playstyle as they level up and take on ever-greater challenges. They will not journey alone, as their victories in combat rely on their chosen NPC partner, each with different skills and abilities that can be customized. As the bond with their partner deepens, players will unlock new skills and more powerful abilities.”
You choose one NPC partner and build them up to rely on a team of two. Generally, in Sword Art Online, parties are teamed up with four characters. So making it only two will probably mean they want a good degree of difficulty involved, as well as making it so each partner is a lot more specialized than how party members were previously. The trailer has a moment where it looks like your team of two teams up with another party of two. This might mean there will be online co-op, or maybe certain missions let you use four players in a party. This trailer gives me more and more questions, but it makes me stoked to see where the direction of this game goes!
Echoes of Aincrad will be released July 10th, 2026, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
Source: Press Release
