Octopath Traveler 0 producer reacts to State of Play "beloved series" disappointment: "If you wonder why it's beloved, please give the demo a try"

PlayStation’s recent State of Play Japan brought the usual selection of previews and teasers for upcoming games. One among them, Octopath Traveler 0, suffered from being heralded as a “beloved series,” raising some hopes that were quickly dashed. The game’s producer has spoken out on the incident, hoping players will still check out the JRPG.

“Honored to see Octopath Traveler 0 introduced as a ‘beloved series’ at State of Play,” Hirohito Suzuki, producer on the Octopath Traveler games, said on Twitter. "It may not match everyone’s expectations, but it was made with love." He then implores everyone to "please give the demo a try," if they’re curious about why the Octopath games are so well regarded.

True enough, during the presentation, the prequel is introduced as, "Square Enix's beloved series," a phrase that probably conjured Final Fantasy or the Mana games for a strong contingent of viewers, since we'd already heard about the latest Dragon Quest release. Or perhaps even Kingdom Hearts, though I'm not sure we're getting that next game revealed in a State of Play.

Instead, Octopath Traveler came up. To be clear, both installments of that series are well regarded, but it has a lower profile than other properties in Square Enix's oeuvre. We got a looksie at 0, a new adventure set some years before the first, retaining the 2.5D aesthetic, turn-based combat, and eight-person party size.

For all intents and purposes, it looks just as magical as the other two console games, and should quality remain consistent, will be another fine quest through Orsterra. It's the second prequel in the series, after Champions of the Continent, a free-to-play mobile game released in 2020.

That installment is a little less widely enjoyed than the others. As Suzuki says, the Octopath Traveler 0 demo is available now if you're in any way skeptical, with the full game coming out December 4, 2025. Maybe next time the property is mentioned you'll be thinking it deserves a bold introduction.

Nobody told Octopath Traveler 0 devs they'd make an extreme town building system, so they guessed it was a mistake before the JRPG's producer said it "absolutely" wasn't: "I thought it would be only logical"