Update: A new blog from Square Enix reveals Octopath Traveler 0 is a prequel coming to PC, PS5, PS4, and Xbox Series X|S on the same day as the Nintendo Switch family. Oh, there are also over 30 recruitable party members this time and, yes, eight-character parties comprised of front and back rows.
Original Story: Did Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 make you yearn for another turn-based Final Fantasy? Well, I'm here to let you know Square Enix never wiped its hands of the genre. In fact, it just announced another turn-based HD-2D RPG called Octopath Traveler 0 and it's coming this year.
We got our first look at the third Octopath Traveler game via today's Nintendo Direct, and, boy, does it look good. Octopath Traveler 0 is coming to the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 on December 4, 2025 - plus, it looks like it's building on top of everything we love about the old-school-style series already.
That gorgeous HD-2D art style is intact. The strategic BP-based combat from Bravely Default returns. And there seems to be another potentially world-ending threat to contend with. But there's also plenty that's all-new.
In a series first, you can actually create your own custom character, giving you control over their name, appearance, body type, beginning skills, and "Favorite Dish" for some reason. Ripping a page from Suikoden's playbook, town-building is also central to Octopath Traveler 0's plot as our party works to restore their hometown destroyed in a fire.
The biggest Suikoden influence, to my eye, was that huge cast, which seemingly includes fights with eight party members stuffed onto the screen. Our looks at combat show eight health bars, eight pixelated little heroes, and eight friendly icons in the turn order UI. Finally making good on the series' namesake - one for every tentacle.
Check out some other upcoming Switch 2 games to see what else is in the pipeline.
