With just a few more days left in 2025, many gamers are looking ahead to what’s coming out in the new year. Though January is often relatively slow for new game releases, there are a few things to look forward to. This includes the release of a highly anticipated brand-new installment in the beloved Trails series. Trails Beyond the Horizon is set to release in the U.S. on January 15th, 2026. But right now, PS4 and PS5 owners can get an early taste of the new turn-based RPG.
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The Trails in the Sky series recently celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2024, and Nihon Falcom shows no signs of slowing down. 2025 brought us the remastered Trails in the Sky: 1st Chapter, which reimagines the gateway to the JRPG franchise. More remakes are reportedly on the way, but Nihon Falcom is also continuing to deliver new entries that continue the story. The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon was released in Japan in 2024, with the English version scheduled for a January release. But thanks to a new demo, fans can experience it early.
Trails Beyond the Horizon Gameplay & Story Demo Lets Players Try Before They Buy
Game demos can be a bit hit or miss. Some fans love them, while others prefer to go into new games fresh. This is in part because many demos don’t carry your progress into the full game, leading to the need to repeat early-game tutorial content. Thankfully, the newly launched gameplay and story demo for the upcoming JRPG, Trails Beyond the Horizon, will let players carry over their progress.
On December 19th, Nihon Falcom’s @NISAmerica account confirmed that the Trails Beyond the Horizon Story Demo and Battle Demo are now available for PC, PS4, PS5, and Nintendo Switch. These free samples let players experience some of what the game will have to offer, both in terms of its early story and more advanced combat scenarios.
The battle demo is a standalone taste of the game’s combat system, designed to give a glimpse of more seasoned gameplay by skipping over early tutorial battles. Meanwhile, the story demo lets you experience the early beats of the game. Progress from the Story Demo will transfer over to the full game at launch, so players don’t need to go through the same cutscenes a second time.
The demo will likely remain available at least until the game’s full release on January 15th. If it follows the pattern of similar demos like the one for Digimon Story: Time Stranger, it may be around after the game’s launch, as well. But if you really want to get an early look at this latest installment in the Trails series, you may as well jump in as soon as possible. The demo is available to download from Steam, the PlayStation Store, and the Nintendo eShop starting on December 19th, 2025.
Trails Beyond the Horizon releases on January 15th for PC, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2.
Are you excited for a new Trails game in early 2026? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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