Fans of Xenoblade Chronicles have been eagerly awaiting news about another game in the series. After getting the first Xenoblade Chronicles remastered yet again (this time for the Nintendo Switch and with a new post-game addition — Xenoblade Chronicles: Future Connected) in 2020 followed by Pyra and Mythra from Xenoblade Chronicles 2 joining Super Smash Bros. Ultimate this year, now some new information about the possibility of a third game has surfaced.
In June of this year, Jenna Coleman (an actress known for her work as Clara in Doctor Who) took part in GalaxyCon Live — a virtual experience with celebrities. Created in response to COVID-19, the virtual event allowed fans to purchase autographs and one-on-one phone call sessions. Coleman was part of GalaxyCon Live’s June 2021 lineup, and that’s where Din’s Meteorite (a YouTube channel) asked Coleman about her work as Melia Antiqua in Xenoblade Chronicles. During the chat, Coleman made the following remark about the series: “Um, I think they’re going to do another. [Pauses] Common knowledge? Don’t know. Yeah, I think they’re going to do another. [stops] Don’t know if I’m allowed to say that.” Din’s Meteorite uploaded the autograph and video call session to their YouTube channel the following day, June 14th.
Despite being uploaded back in June, it wasn’t until early August that the video and Coleman’s slip began to make the rounds among Xenoblade Chronicles fans and news outlets. Today, more info confirming that a third game is in the works was published by Fanbyte’s News Editor Imran Khan (former senior editor at Game Informer). Thanks to their anonymous sources, Khan shared that Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is in production and more in an article titled “Xenoblade Voice Actress Implies a New Game is in the Works – Which is True”:
According to our sources here, we can indeed confirm that to be the case. Moreover, the game is nearing its final stages of development, but its release date may be held back for any number of reasons.
The third Xenoblade Chronicles game in development at Monolith Soft is a sequel to Xenoblade Chronicles 2, currently the best-selling game in the series. The ending of the trilogy takes place in the far-flung future with a few returning characters who have long-outlived their human counterparts from both Xenoblade Chronicles and Xenoblade Chronicles 2. This is why Coleman, who plays Melia, would be aware of a third game, as her character is returning and she more than likely has recorded voice acting for it.
According to our sources, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 was set to be revealed earlier this year, and may still be announced before the end of the calendar year, but has had a difficult time with pandemic development and optimizing the game for the Switch. The game is aiming for more character models on screen at once than any previous title, accounting for both playable characters and enemies.
According to Khan’s sources, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 was planned to be released in “Winter 2021,” but will more than likely be released in 2022 (the first half of the year if things progress well). Direct-Feed Games has also confirmed that the information in Khan’s article is “accurate.”
Given that there’s been no official statement from Nintendo or Monolith Soft, it’s best to keep in mind that Xenoblade Chronicles 3’s existence (and the details shared by anonymous sources) should be treated as a rumor. Even with Coleman’s admission thrown into the mix, we’ll be calling this a rumor until Nintendo and/or Monolith Soft make a formal announcement.
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Written by Jennifer Burch
Illustrator, designer, writer and big Nintendo geek, you can find Jennifer with an N3DS within reach 24/7. As the oldest of three, she has survived many Mario Party, Super Smash Bros. and Mario Kart sessions intact in addition to getting her brothers hooked on some really weird games. (Cubivore anyone?)
