A prominent Monolith Soft employee may have just hinted at a new Xenoblade game being in the works for Switch 2. However, there could be evidence that the Nintendo studio is gearing up to announce the RPG sooner than many expected.
Is Xenoblade Switch 2 Being Announced Soon?
Excitement for a new Xenoblade game was kicked into overdrive when the series’ composer, Manami Kiyota, revealed she’s working on an unannounced project. “I’m working on a new project together with wonderful creators from around the world. Please look forward to the official announcement!”
If you’re thinking: “What does that have to do with Xenoblade?” Totally understandable, but hear me out!
What makes this rumor interesting is that Kiyota has a history of making similar teases on social media just before Nintendo announces a new Xenoblade project.
Specifically, eagle-eyed fans discovered that Manami Kiyota made an almost identical post in March 2022, just before Xenoblade Chronicles 3. For those keeping count, this was about four months before Nintendo announced XC3.
While not an outright confirmation of a new Xenoblade, it at least hints that Monolith Soft is gearing up to announce a new game in the next few months. And with the studio and Kiyota working on Xenoblade for years, many fans of the series believe it’s possible.
If our collective wishful thinking becomes reality, the project likely wouldn’t be released until sometime in 2026.
That said, the Xenoblade composer did state it’s a “new project,” meaning it could be anything. So it goes without saying to take this rumor with a major grain of salt. But as a massive Monolith Soft fan, this latest update still has me excited. I would gladly play a new IP from the studio on Switch 2, if that’s what it ends up being.
XC2 and XC3 Desperately Need a Switch 2 Update
Despite being a massive Xenoblade Chronicles fanatic since the series debuted in 2010, I have not finished XC3. It’s actually the only Monolith Soft RPG I have yet to complete. However, like many players, I’m desperately waiting for the game to get a Switch 2 update patch. Unfortunately, the game looks pretty terrible on the new Nintendo console in its current state.
When Xenoblade Chronicles 3 launched in 2022, the RPG ran at a locked 30 FPS and 540p in Nintendo Switch handheld mode.
As you can imagine, these flaws are now even more noticeable on the Switch 2’s massive 120Hz screen. What makes this all the more frustrating is that the Switch 2 automatically boosts games to 60 FPS and 1080p if the titles don’t have locked-down settings.
But this is exactly what Monolith Soft did for Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and 3 to stabilize performance. And in all fairness, they are still some of the best-looking open-world games I’ve ever played. This is especially true when docked on your TV. But for portable use, they look pretty blurry. Not to mention, 30 FPS is kind of brutal once you’ve played other games that have received a Switch 2 update. Replaying XC2 and XC3 again would be perfect as we wait for Monolith Soft to announce their next title.
The post Is a New Xenoblade Game Coming to Switch 2? appeared first on VICE.
