RISK YOUR REALITY IN ECHOES OF AINCRAD, AVAILABLE NOW

Press Release  •  10 Jul 2026 09:31

RISK YOUR REALITY IN ECHOES OF AINCRAD, AVAILABLE NOW

Lyon, France – 10 July 2026 – Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe today announced the launch of Echoes of Aincrad, a brand-new Action JRPG set in the world of SWORD ART ONLINE, available on PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S and PC via Steam®.

 

As their own character jumping into “SWORD ART ONLINE”, the first VRMMORPG in the world, players will discover this game isn’t one when they find out that every logged in user is now stuck in the game with no apparent exit. Trapped in this dangerous video game where virtual death means death in the real world, players have to face the challenges of the stunning floating castle of Aincrad. While many prefer to hide, or start to turn on each other, the storyline follows the players’ character as they step in to free everyone, exploring breathtaking sceneries through quests and missions, overcoming epic fights against powerful enemies to escape these deadly virtual dungeons.

 

Watch the launch trailer of Echoes of Aincrad here:

 

 

 

In Echoes of Aincrad, players can create their own character with a wide variety of options and truly be the hero of their own story. Customisation also continues as they level up and master their skills, managing their character attributes to build their own playstyle and become the ultimate hero of Aincrad. When survival is on the line, venturing alone could mean death at any moment, but players will be able to rely on a partner for their outings, with each of them boasting a different skill to support the player’s approach. Combat receives an added layer of strategy thanks to the switch mode, which allows their ally to step up and cover for the player or fight on their own terms, taking on their own enemies. Finally, in classic RPG fashion, players will have to learn the ropes, dodging, parrying and timing their actions perfectly to gain advantage and defeat those standing on their way to freedom.

 

Echoes of Aincrad is available today on PlayStation®5, Xbox Series XIS, and PC via Steam®.  

 

For more information about Echoes of Aincrad and other titles from Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe please visit: https://www.bandainamcoent.eu. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or join the conversation on X and Threads.

 

Assets for this release can be found here: https://static.bandainamcoent.eu/press-kits/2026/EoA/2026.07.07_Echoes_of_Aincrad_Release.zip

 

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About Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe S.A.S.  

Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe is a leading global publisher, developer, and distributor of entertainment content for platforms including, but not limited to, all major video game consoles and PC.

Producing intellectual property for a global audience, Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe is building its reputation with franchises such as LITTLE NIGHTMARES™, and production capabilities of Reflector Entertainment.

Based in Lyon, France, Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe is known for bringing many of the entertainment industry’s top franchises such as PAC-MAN™, GUNDAM™, TEKKEN™, ACE COMBAT™, DARK SOULS™, and ELDEN RING™ to EMEA and ANZ markets.

For more information, please visit www.bandainamcoent.eu 

“PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.

 

©2020 REKI KAWAHARA/KADOKAWA CORPORATION/SAO-P Project

©Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc.

The story of Echoes of Aincrad unfolds further in a new trailer

Press Release  •  26 Jun 2026 14:45

With the launch of Echoes of Aincrad just around the corner on 10 July 2026, a new story trailer comes to shed some light on how the 10 000 players reacted to end of the “BETA test” in the virtual world of SWORD ART ONLINE. It also reveals familiar faces that fans of the series will recognise!

This trailer shows the characters facing the reality of their situation and coming to terms with the truth: everyone is now trapped inside the floating castle of Aincrad, and dying in the game means death in the real world. Amid confusion, despair and accusations, players of Echoes of Aincrad will take on the role of the hero uniting others, taking up the sword to survive, beat the game and set the others free.

While players will be living their own adventure of survival in Aincrad, they will be able to team up with partners leveling up by their side, some of them famous characters from the franchise like Asuna, Agil, Lisbeth and more, each with their Special Skill. It will be up to the player to choose what role they should assume in combat; thanks to the Switch System they can alternate between autonomous fighting and support behaviour, to cover them and split damage.

Watch the trailer here:  https://youtu.be/zQvrW2LHo0Q 

Echoes of Aincrad launches on 10 July 2026, and pre-orders are available now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam.

For more information about Echoes of Aincrad or other titles from Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe please visit https://www.bandainamcoent.eu, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok.  Join the conversation on X and Threads.

Download the press kit here: https://static.bandainamcoent.eu/press-kits/2026/EoA/2026.06.26_Echoes_of_Aincrad_Assets.zip