Fire Emblem has come quite far since, a decade ago, the series' intended swan song instead became its renaissance. Between Awakening and Three Houses, the latter of which combined the franchise's growth with the massive audience of the Nintendo Switch, Fire Emblem is at an all-time high, and Nintendo hopes to continue that success with the recently-announced Fire Emblem: Engage.
While not much has been said regarding the new game yet, it looks to combine a new story and cast of characters with elements from past titles and a variety of returning faces. Engage will bring back the turn-based tactical battles the series is known for along with new mechanics and ways to play. Here's what we know so far.
Fire Emblem: Engage Trailer
Fire Emblem: Engage's announcement trailer opened up the September 2022 Nintendo Direct. It starts with a gorgeous Medieval-style mural depicting the game's new continent of Elyos surrounded by dragons and images of the past Fire Emblem protagonists like Marth, Corrin, and Byleth. It then reveals the male version of the new protagonist, whose canon name seems to be Alear based on later footage. While not featured in the trailer, a female Alear is featured on the box art, confirming that, like in most recent Fire Emblem games, players will be able to choose the protagonist's gender.
In addition to teasing the game's main conflict and new characters, the trailer shows Alear summoning original Fire Emblem protagonist Marth to fight alongside him using Emblem Rings. New characters Alfred and Céline are seen fighting alongside Sigurd and Celica, respectively, making it clear that other characters can also call upon heroes from previous games too.
What Is Fire Emblem: Engage About?
Just like most Fire Emblem games, Engage is set on a new continent, Elyos. However, it's already clear Elyos has more narrative ties to the larger franchise than most games in the series. Beyond the summoning mechanic that seems to be the game's primary gimmick, Engage will tell another story centered on the Fell Dragon, which Awakening players will recognize as an alternate name for the main antagonist, Grima. It's unclear if the new game's Fell Dragon is actually Grima or another with that title, but it's clear they will be a major threat regardless.
In Engage's world, the Fell Dragon was sealed away 1,000 years ago by four kingdoms working together, but the seal is weakening. Alear is something called a Divine Dragon, a royal family of dragons who were seen as gods. After a 1,000-year long slumber, Alear awakens to a world where they must use their unique abilities to collect Emblem Rings and restore peace of Eylos. The games also features a hub world to explore between battles in the form of a town, which is said to grow as Alear and their friends gain allies.
What We Know About Fire Emblem: Engage
So far, most of what's been revealed about Fire Emblem: Engage has to do with the summoning mechanic. Based on the artwork from the trailer, it seems each mainline Fire Emblem game will be represented by at least one character. Most of them are protagonists, though there are some other major characters included like Lucina and Lyn, who are depicted instead of Robin and Eliwood. It's unknown how many returning heroes there will be and how the game will handle variations of characters, such as male and female variants of player avatars like Byleth and Corrin.
While not yet shown, support conversations between playable units will almost certainly return given their popularity among the fanbase. It also seems, based on the trailer, that characters will build some sort of relationship with heroes they summon. A screen showing Alear with Marth equipped says "Bond 6," which likely means they will be more effective when working together. Summoned heroes appear to be encased in light, implying they are shadows are spirits rather than physically present, though a shot of Marth standing in the hub world indicates players will be able to interact with them in some capacity outside of battle.
When Does Fire Emblem: Engage Release?
Fire Emblem: Engage is currently scheduled to release on January 20, 2023, kicking off what looks to be a packed year for Nintendo first-party releases. The game is available to preorder on the Nintendo eShop, and there is also a Divine Edition that includes a physical copy of the game, a steelbook case, art cards, an artbook, and a poster.