Xenoblade 3's Earlier Release Date Hints at Something Big From Nintendo

gamerant.com:

After Xenoblade Chronicles 3 was revealed in February, fans were pleasantly surprised to find out that the game was less than a year away. Initially, its release window was set for September, which was a very reasonable wait for a game that every Xenoblade Chronicles fan was hoping for, but wasn’t sure was coming soon. Monolith Software has been staffing up and expanding for a few years. With all of its work on Nintendo’s other open-world games, it hans't been entirely clear that Monolith was working on its major project as it said, or supporting Pokemon and/or Breath of the Wild 2. It’s now obvious that Monolith has been working on its next Xenoblade entry for quite some time.

Still, having a game be so complete that its launch can be moved up two months is a shock. Xenoblade Chronicles 3’s new July release date suggests that the game is deep in development. It could have been ready far in advance of its original September window, far enough that a push forward wouldn’t harm it. This is impressive considering that the game seems to be building off all the Xenoblade titles that came before it. Even more than that, being able to smoothly prepare an open-world project like Xenoblade as the COVID pandemic affects the industry is a stunning feat. The fact remains, however, that Xenoblade Chronicles 3 would have been ready to release in July or September, and its blunt move forward also suggests Nintendo has big plans for late in the year.

How Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Can Tie Together The First Two Games

Now that August through December of 2022 is mostly free for Nintendo, the question remains what its plans for those months are. Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet are slated to be coming out late in 2022, probably in Pokemon’s