Summary
- Sword Art Online: Variant Showdown is back on mobile after fixes, new content and new characters.
- The game features an original story with Kirito and friends exploring a new VR title, Cross Edge.
- Players can recruit characters through a lottery system, enjoy an action battle system, and fight with unique abilities.
A Sword Art Online mobile game that launched back in 2022 is finally back after a major relaunch following massive complaints from fans about game-breaking bugs and technical issues. Sword Art Online: Variant Showdown is fully available on mobile platforms again after publisher Bandai Namco pulled it from online stores in 2023, giving fans another chance to try it out.
The massive anime franchise is still going strong after over a decade since the original television series aired, with many Sword Art Online Video games take the story in completely new directions. Most have taken the form of action role-playing games with a mix of original characters and returning actors, although the series has seen a few mobile games as well.
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Sword Art Online: Best Order To Play The Video Games
With seven Sword Art Online games out, it can be confusing for fans to know what to play first. How to approach the franchise.
Fortunately for fans, the mobile RPG Sword Art Online: Variant Showdown is finally back online after over a year of maintenance with a brand new trailer announcing its relaunch showcasing the game and some of the new additions. The newly launched game will reportedly feature a new boot system, characters and game modes, along with a fully voiced main story and seemingly a slew of bug fixes.
SAO mobile game resurfaces with new content
Following the trend of many other games based on the anime series, Sword Art Online: Variant Showdown presents an original story where Kirito and his friends investigate a brand new VR title called Cross Edge. The story reportedly links its events to those from the original Sword Art Online anime series and the new version will even add some recurring characters like the blacksmith Agil.
As for the game, Variant Showdown features an action combat system where players dodge attacks and follow up with their own unique abilities while controlling a cast of characters from across the franchise. To recruit new characters to use in battle, players can engage in the game's lottery system which resembles Genshin Impact to fill out their lists of playable heroes.
For fans looking for an action RPG experience on consoles or PC, there is no shortage of video games based on the hit anime series, with the latest Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream, available on current generation platforms. The anime series is still ongoing with new animated content as well, with its latest spin-off series Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online currently in its second season.
