Echoes of Aincrad arrives on PC (Steam), PlayStation, and Xbox this Thursday, July 9. According to PC Gamer, the Steam launch happens at 3 pm PDT, while consoles have different schedules. The game costs $70 (£55) in the standard edition, with a deluxe version available for an extra $20 (£20).
The souls-like was among the highlights of Steam Next Fest, with the event's demo remaining available for anyone wanting to test before the official launch. The title retells the original Sword Art Online story from the perspective of a custom protagonist, focusing on the Aincrad arc.
It marks a fresh approach for games in the franchise, backed by a larger budget and redesigned mechanics. The release returns to the early events of the anime saga, stepping away from the main protagonists Kirito and Asuna.
