Summary
Last month,Octopath Travelerwas delisted from the Nintendo Switch eShop, but it’s back now. The reason for the delisting was thatOctopath Travelerchanged its Western publisher; previously, it was Nintendo, but now it’s Square Enix, the franchise’s creator.
While the game’s price tag still showed $59.99 USD, it appeared as “Not Available,” and purchasing the digital version ofOctopath Traveleron the Nintendo Switch wasn’t possible, though the game was still available on Steam and the Microsoft Store. When fans noticed thatOctopath Travelerhad been delistedfrom the Nintendo Switch eShop, some speculated thatOctopath Travelerwould receive a definitive version, while others believed the game would finally come to PlayStation.
On Twitter, Square Enix announced thatOctopath Travelerwas back on the Nintendo Switch eShop. Neither Nintendo nor Square have commented on why the game was temporarily unavailable on the Switch’s digital platform. However, buying it via physical media was still possible, even if the game case came with acode to redeem on the Nintendo eShop.
Octopath Traveler is Back on the Nintendo Switch eShop
This isn’t the first time a game has been delisted from the Nintendo Switch eShop. Last month,Kemono Heroeswas delistedfor the same reason asOctopath Travelerwhen JanduSoft acquired the publishing rights from NIS America. This change happened shortly afterKemono Heroes, previously a Nintendo Switch exclusive, was announced for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
Octopath Traveleris a Square Enix game that introduced the HD-2D graphical engine, also seen in other RPGs likeTriangle Strategy, theLive A Liveremake, and the upcomingDragon Quest 3remake. The game sold over 3 million copies, earning it a sequel.Octopath Traveler 2was released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and 5, and PC. An Xbox version has been confirmed for 2024. Many considerOctopath Traveler2 one of the best RPGsof 2023.
Although many games produced by Square Enix’s Team Asano were console exclusives for Nintendo, such asBravely Default, the latest releases have all gone multiplatform. Square Enix appointed Takashi Kiryu as president last year, and it didn’t take long for the new CEO to outline new strategies for the developer, promising thatbig changes were coming for Square Enix games. One of these changes could be exclusive games going multiplatform, which is already proving to be a fruitful strategy for other publishers.
