The Octopath Traveler games established a new line of “HD-2D” games at Square Enix, and fans of the series can look forward to a new Switch 2 release of the first two entries in the series–with a catch. While Octopath Traveler and its sequel have been available on the original Switch for years now, there’ll be no upgrade option for players to continue their journey on Switch 2, meaning no discount or transfer their saves across.
Both games are lengthy experiences, full of optional detours and challenging quests, so starting from scratch isn’t a tempting proposition. Throw in the fact that they still look pretty great for their age thanks to the timeless HD-2D design, making it likely that current players could skip the Switch 2 editions.
While numerous Switch games offer upgrade packs for their Switch 2 editions–some free, others costing a few bucks–the lack of one for Octopath Traveler could make it a very hard sell for fans of the RPG series.
Some people online have labeled this as an anti-consumer move on Square Enix’s part, as this move rules out the idea of purchasing a cheap secondhand copy of Octopath Traveler and grabbing the upgrade. It also doesn’t allow for anyone who purchased the game previously–digitally or physically–to cheaply upgrade.
Square Enix has been in hot water in the past for offering zero upgrade paths for several of its HD-2D games. Octopath Traveler 0 and the physical versions of Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake all required players to commit to one Switch platform to play them, choosing either a last-gen or a current-gen version.
If you are planning to get Octopath Traveler 1 and 2 for Switch 2–and you’re jumping in for the first time–there are some nice technical upgrades in this version. The package will be available in both digital and physical editions, with improved frame rates and resolutions on Switch 2 when it launches on October 1.