A new leak has sparked rumors that the Nintendo Switch 2 will be getting a new Xenoblade Chronicles release this year. Developer Monolith Soft has gone rather quiet since the launch of the Switch 2, as the developer hasn’t announced anything since releasing Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition on the original Nintendo Switch just before the new console’s arrival. While the studio did some support work on the launch title Mario Kart World, it hasn’t offered any hints at where it plans to take its beloved Xenoblade Chronicles series.
While the original Xenoblade Chronicles entry arrived in 2012 amidst a massive fan campaign known as Operation Rainfall, it initially only achieved cult status following a limited release at the tail-end of the Wii’s lifecycle. Since its release, however, the franchise has grown in standing, buoyed by the original game’s protagonist, Shulk, making a prominent appearance in the Super Smash Bros. series. The franchise would continue to receive new titles on the Nintendo Switch, with the subsequent sequels each selling in the millions on Nintendo’s best-selling platform.
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Voice Actor’s Spotlight Page Indicates New Xenoblade Chronicles Release For 2026
As pointed out by Wario64, a recent voice acting leak has sparked speculation that a new Xenoblade Chronicles game will release in 2026. The leak comes courtesy of the casting resource Spotlight, with an update to the page of voice actor Caitlin Thorburn, who voiced several characters in 2017’s Xenoblade Chronicles 2. Thorburn’s page has recently been updated to note that she did voice work for a Xenoblade Chronicles project that is due out in 2026.
On the Spotlight page, the entry that pertains to Xenoblade mentions that Thorburn is reprising her role as KOS-MOS, who previously appeared in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and the Xenosaga series. While this remains a rumor and should be taken with a grain of salt, it has been reported that only the subject of a Spotlight page can update or edit it, which adds more credibility to the rumor. It’s also not the first time a voice actor has revealed a Xenoblade Chronicles game before its official release, as Jenna Coleman, the voice of Melia, accidentally mentioned Xenoblade Chronicles 3 before its announcement.
Considering that it’s been four years since Xenoblade Chronicles 3, a wholly new entry in the franchise isn’t out of the question for 2026. Monolith Soft and Nintendo have kept fans satiated over the years with a multitude of Xenoblade Chronicles re-releases, and the continued commercial success of the series could influence Nintendo to continue the franchise. After all, rumors of a new Xenoblade Chronicles game previously circulated last year, so perhaps Monolith Soft may have Xenoblade Chronicles 4 ready to go in the back half of 2026.
On the other hand, Thorburn’s page indicating a return as KOS-MOS may instead be leading to a Switch 2 Edition of Xenoblade Chronicles 2. Nintendo has had no shortage of Switch 2 Editions of Switch 1 games across its first-party lineup, and a Monolith Soft hiring ad in 2024 sparked rumors of a Switch 2 Edition of Xenoblade Chronicles 2. A re-release of the 2017 Switch entry with updated graphics and frame rate would fit right in with the rest of Nintendo’s first-party re-releases, and serve as a further holdover while Monolith prepares the next major entry.
- Released
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December 1, 2017
- ESRB
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T For Teen due to Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence
- Publisher(s)
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Nintendo
Source: Nintendo Life
