{"id":5016,"date":"2026-07-06T04:19:46","date_gmt":"2026-07-05T20:19:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/sao-echoes-of-aincrad-july-2026\/"},"modified":"2026-07-06T04:19:46","modified_gmt":"2026-07-05T20:19:46","slug":"sao-echoes-of-aincrad-july-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/sao-echoes-of-aincrad-july-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"SAO Echoes of Aincrad Launches 9 July on PS5 and PC"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Sword Art Online&#8217;s latest action RPG, <strong>Echoes of Aincrad<\/strong>, launches globally on <strong>9 July<\/strong> on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S \u2014 and on PC via Steam on <strong>10 July<\/strong>. Developed by Game Studio Inc. and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment, it is the first SAO game where you play as a fully custom character rather than Kirito himself, stepping into the original Aincrad death game alongside familiar faces from the series.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gt-video\">\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/h-lqh2-5Ks0\" title=\"Echoes of Aincrad | Gameplay Trailer\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0;\" allow=\"accelerometer;clipboard-write;encrypted-media;gyroscope;picture-in-picture;web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><figcaption>Echoes of Aincrad | Gameplay Trailer \u2014 via Bandai Namco Entertainment America on YouTube<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Create Your Own Hero<\/h2>\n<p>Character creation goes deep. You choose from body type presets, then fine-tune individual proportions through sliders \u2014 bust, waist, arm width, leg shape, skin tone and facial features \u2014 before picking your starting gear and preferred weapon. Your hero is entirely yours; Iori, the original character featured in official story content, serves as a separate NPC companion alongside Argo, Kirito and Asuna rather than a fixed protagonist you are locked into playing.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/sao-echoes-aincrad-character-creation.jpg?w=474&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Echoes of Aincrad character creation screen showing body type sliders and customisation options\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"><figcaption>Image courtesy of Bandai Namco Entertainment<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Six Weapons, Real-Time Combat and Sword Skills<\/h2>\n<p>Combat is real-time and stamina-managed. Six weapon types are available \u2014 Sword &amp; Shield, Two-Handed Axe, Dagger, Rapier, Two-Handed Sword and Mace \u2014 each with its own move set and signature Sword Skills, the series&#8217; charged special attacks that have been a staple since the original light novels. Chaining those skills against groups of enemies in the gameplay footage looks satisfying; the arc of a wide sword slash clearing a room full of flaming opponents gives a sense of how powerful a well-timed skill feels.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/sao-echoes-aincrad-combat.jpg?w=474&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Echoes of Aincrad real-time combat with sword skill sweep against fire monsters in a dungeon\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"><figcaption>Image courtesy of Bandai Namco Entertainment<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Partner System and Iconic Boss Fights<\/h2>\n<p>You can bring 1\u20133 AI partners into each quest, with their weapons and skills customisable between runs. Floor bosses return in full action-RPG form \u2014 Illfang the Kobold Lord, the Floor 1 boss that anime fans have been waiting to face head-on since 2012, shows up with attack-pattern phases and a proper health bar. Two complete floors of Aincrad are open to explore, spanning plains, dungeons and other environments drawn from the original story.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/sao-echoes-aincrad-boss-fight.jpg?w=474&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Echoes of Aincrad boss fight against Illfang the Kobold Lord Lv31 with real-time action combat\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"><figcaption>Image courtesy of Bandai Namco Entertainment<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/sao-echoes-aincrad-party.jpg?w=474&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Echoes of Aincrad party of four characters with glowing weapons inside a dungeon\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"><figcaption>Image courtesy of Bandai Namco Entertainment<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Death Game Mode: Optional Permadeath<\/h2>\n<p>For those who want to feel the full weight of Aincrad&#8217;s stakes, Death Game Mode introduces permadeath \u2014 die in combat and your save is gone. It unlocks after you clear the main story, or from day one if you pick up the Deluxe or Ultimate Edition. It is a smart optional layer that lets casual players enjoy the story at their own pace while keeping the series&#8217; defining tension available for anyone who wants to raise the stakes.<\/p>\n<h2>Platforms, Price and Singapore Availability<\/h2>\n<p>Echoes of Aincrad launches on <strong>PS5 and Xbox Series X|S on 9 July<\/strong> with preloads opening on 8 July, and on <strong>PC via Steam on 10 July<\/strong> at 03:00 UTC (11:00 SGT). The game ships in 14 languages including Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Thai and Indonesian, making it well-suited for players across Southeast Asia. The Standard Edition is priced at US$69.99; Singapore PlayStation Store and Steam pricing will follow at launch. For the full editions breakdown and pre-order options, visit the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bandainamcoent.com\/games\/echoes-of-aincrad\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">official Bandai Namco page<\/a>. For more upcoming game launches, check out our <a href=\"\/blog\/category\/game-news\/\">Game News<\/a> coverage.<\/p>\n<p><!--GT-SCOUT source=\"Web (English)\" theme=\"Video games\" flags=\"SGD price to be confirmed\"--><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sword Art Online&#8217;s new action RPG Echoes of Aincrad drops 9 July on PS5 and Xbox \u2014 create your own character and survive Aincrad alongside Kirito and Asuna.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":5011,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":[]},"categories":[11],"tags":[94,202,438,64,255],"class_list":["post-5016","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-game-news","tag-action-rpg","tag-bandai-namco","tag-pc-gaming","tag-ps5","tag-sword-art-online"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/sao-echoes-of-aincrad-header.jpg?fit=460%2C215&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p13AlF-1iU","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3692,"url":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/sao-echoes-of-aincrad-demo-june-2026\/","url_meta":{"origin":5016,"position":0},"title":"Echoes of Aincrad Free Demo Out Now \u2014 Save Data Carries Over","date":"June 16, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The free SAO Echoes of Aincrad demo is live today on PS5, Xbox Series, and Steam. Your save data carries to the full game, out 9 July 2026.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Game News&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/eoa-header.jpg?fit=1200%2C406&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4969,"url":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/dragon-ball-xenoverse-2-final-dlc-future-saga-chapter-4-july-8\/","url_meta":{"origin":5016,"position":1},"title":"Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 Final DLC Drops July 8","date":"July 5, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 receives its final DLC, Future Saga Chapter 4, on July 8 for PS5, Xbox, Switch and PC \u2014 new Chronoa and Goku forms, a new stage, and more.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Game News&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/dbxv2-future-saga-ch4-chronoa.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4920,"url":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/digimon-story-time-stranger-switch-2-july-2026-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":5016,"position":2},"title":"Digimon Story: Time Stranger Comes to Switch and Switch 2 on 10 July","date":"July 5, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Digimon Story: Time Stranger arrives on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 on 10 July 2026 with 4K HDR and 60fps modes \u2014 and a free day-one update adding Terriermon Assistant as a playable character.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Game News&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/digimon-story-time-stranger-switch2-header.jpg?fit=460%2C215&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3877,"url":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/my-hero-academia-alls-justice-switch-2-september-2026\/","url_meta":{"origin":5016,"position":3},"title":"My Hero Academia: All&#8217;s Justice Hits Switch 2 in September","date":"June 19, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"My Hero Academia: All's Justice arrives on Nintendo Switch 2 on 4 September 2026, bringing the Final War arc with a PAC-MAN collab mini-game, GameShare online play, and exclusive physical cover art.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/mhaj-switch2-announcement.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4072,"url":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/dragon-ball-xenoverse-3-west-city-trailer-2026\/","url_meta":{"origin":5016,"position":4},"title":"Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 Shows Off West City in Latest Trailer","date":"June 24, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Bandai Namco's latest Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 trailer reveals the West City setting, four original characters, and two brand-new combat systems. Here's everything Singapore fans need to know.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Game News&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/xv3-west-city-still.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4095,"url":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/arcade-archives-2-tekken-launches-tomorrow\/","url_meta":{"origin":5016,"position":5},"title":"Arcade Archives 2 TEKKEN Launches Tomorrow \u2014 The 1994 Arcade Original Comes to Switch 2, PS5 and Xbox Series","date":"June 24, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Hamster Corporation launches Arcade Archives 2 with the 1994 Namco Tekken arcade ROM on Switch 2, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S \u2014 out 25 June for \u00a51,800 (~SGD $17\u201318).","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Game News&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"Arcade Archives 2 TEKKEN key art \u2014 Image courtesy of Hamster Corporation","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/arcade-archives-2-tekken-key-art.jpg?fit=1189%2C699&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5016"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5016"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5016\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5011"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5016"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5016"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5016"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}