Octopath Traveler 0 reimagines a mobile spin-off for PC and console

In the July Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase, Square Enix revealed Octopath Traveler 0, an upcoming spin-off of its Octopath Traveler and Octopath Traveler II RPGs. The game adapts the story of the free-to-play gatcha spin-off for mobile devices, Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent, but has been substantially reworked for PC and console audiences, including revamped combat and town-building elements.

Unlike the previous Octopath Traveler games, which features eight fixed protagonists to play as, Octopath Traveler 0 allows the player to design their custom protagonist, selecting their appearance, voice, motion, and even favourite dish. After your protagonist’s home of Wishvale is razed to the ground, they must embark on a journey of revenge while rebuilding their home. Gameplay differs quite a bit from mainline entries; while familiar elements such as Boost Points (BP), allowing characters to take extra actions and break their opponents, are retained, your battle party now consists of eight fighters at once and with over 30 characters to recruit. The series’ signature 2D-HD art style is maintained, and looks as stunning as ever.

Obviously, you can’t just plonk a free-to-play gatcha mobile game on PC and consoles and charge full price for it. As a result, Octopath Traveler 0 is seeing a significant overhaul in its gameplay compared to Champions of the Continent. The story includes a new script with entirely new narrative elements and playable characters, as well as full voice acting. There are also totally new mechanics, such as the town-building feature where players can reestablish Wishvale and build homes and facilities for its citizens.

Furthermore, the gatcha elements (in which players can pay in-game currency or real money to obtain randomised characters and equipment) have been stripped out. In a statement to Kotaku, a representative from Square Enix has stated that Octopath Traveler 0 is “a new core entry in the series without gacha or other common mobile game mechanics“. Instead, players “encounter allies in various ways throughout the story and the journey” to add to their roster of playable characters instead.

As to how well this will work in practice, it will remain to be seen. The previous games each featured only eight playable characters, and involved a significant amount of grinding to keep all eight of them adequately levelled to keep up with the game’s challenges. We will have to see how Octopath Traveler 0 handles character levelling for a roster of over thirty to be manageable. Whatever the case, we will find out when Octopath Traveler 0 releases on Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S and PC via Steam and Windows on December 4, 2025.