Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent Coming West This Year

Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent will be no longer be exclusive to Japan later this year when it gets a Western release, Square Enix announced this week. The game will be launched in North America and in Europe at some point in 2022, but an exact date has not yet been given. The game's creators said they'll have more to shared about the game – and hopefully a better idea of when it'll release – at some point during this month.

For those who've played Octopath Traveler either on the Nintendo Switch or on the PC platform, this Champions of the Continent game isn't DLC or any other kind of add-on. Instead, it's a full prequel to Octopath Traveler that has been released so far only for mobile devices and only in Japan.

OCTOPATH TRAVELER: Champions of the Continent (English ver.) will launch in North America and Europe in 2022!
We'll have more to share in mid-February, so keep an eye on the official Facebook page for the latest news!#octopathcotc #オクトラ大陸の覇者https://t.co/S0OlifhWz6 pic.twitter.com/2wPwNMJbhT

— オクトパストラベラー 大陸の覇者【公式】 (@OCTOPATH_SP) February 8, 2022

Over on the Facebook page for the game that's been set up following this announcement of a Western release, the creators teased not only the news in the tweet above but also the news of a closed beta that'll be available at some point. That beta will be released at some point during Spring 2022, though like the news of the release itself, we'll have to wait until later this month to learn more.

"We're excited to announce that we will be launching the game in English in North America and Europe in 2022, with a Closed Beta version planned for Spring!" the game's new Facebook page said. "The adventure is just beginning, so stay tuned for more details on how to participate in the Closed Beta and more!"

When comparing Octopath Traveler to its Champions of the Continent prequel, there are a few changes to note aside from the latter being only available on mobile platforms. Both games feature turn-based combat, but the mobile game allows players to battle with up to eight characters as opposed to the four players had to choose from in Octopath Traveler. The playable characters are also different in the mobile version, though there are some cameos for those who played Octopath Traveler.

For those who still haven't played the original Octopath Traveler, it was met with rave reviews and was regarded as an innovative JRPG that still felt like a throwback to classic games. You can read our review in full here.