The launch of Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave comes as one of Nintendo’s biggest first-party releases of the year. Launching over three years after the previous entry, the anticipation for Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave can be felt throughout the community. However, for millions of Fire Emblem fans, Fortune’s Weave will remain out of reach at launch.
Fire Emblem may have seen its revival on the 3DS with games like Fire Emblem Awakening and Fire Emblem Fates, but the series really achieved mainstream recognition with its presence on the Nintendo Switch. The first mainline Fire Emblem game to hit the Switch was Three Houses back in 2019, which quickly became one of the most celebrated entries in the franchise. Although Fire Emblem Engage didn’t see quite as much success, two musou-style spin-off games, Fire Emblem Warriors and Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, expanded the franchise’s library on the original Switch.
Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave is Skipping the Switch 1
Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave launches next month as a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, meaning millions of Switch 1 owners who have yet to upgrade to the latest hardware will miss out on the experience. With how much of an audience the Fire Emblem series has cultivated on the original Switch, skipping a release on the console will likely leave some fans disappointed. To make matters worse, Fortune’s Weave looks to be directly connected to Three Houses, not a standalone story like other Fire Emblem games, making it even more tragic for Switch 1 players eager for a follow-up.
Although it’s unclear whether Fortune’s Weave is a sequel or a prequel to Fire Emblem: Three Houses, there is a very clear connection between the two entries. For starters, Fortune’s Weave is set in the land of Dagda, which neighbors Three Houses‘ setting of Fodlan and is home to Three Houses characters like Shamir. More importantly, the goddess Sothis, a central character in Fire Emblem: Three Houses, appears once again in Fortune’s Weave, establishing an important throughline for these games.
As if being a Switch 2 exclusive isn’t controversial enough, Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave is another $80 Switch 2 game, drawing criticism from some fans as the price of new games steadily climbs higher. Granted, the game is $10 cheaper if players purchase it digitally through the Nintendo eShop, but physical game collection is popular among gamers right now despite the rise of digital-only games and the looming end of physical game production from companies like Sony.
Switch 1 owners looking to upgrade to a Switch 2 for the release of Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave are also in for a bit of bad news, as the Switch 2 is getting a price increase starting September 1. Instead of the current $449.99, new Switch 2 units will see a $50 price jump to $499.99 for the base model next month. This price increase comes at an unfortunate time, as more Nintendo releases, such as the upcoming Ocarina of Time remake, are becoming Switch 2 exclusive and requiring players to upgrade their hardware to keep up.
- Released
-
September 17, 2026
- ESRB
-
Teen / Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, In-Game Purchases
- Publisher(s)
-
Nintendo
