The release of 2025’s Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter saw Nihon Falcom delight fans with a simultaneous global debut on Steam, Switch, and PS5. Reflecting on the positive reception this generated, studio CEO and president Toshihiro Kondo reveals his intention to continue pursuing multiplatform launches wherever possible moving forward.
In a recent interview with ASCII Japan ahead of the upcoming Trails In The Sky 2nd Chapter, Kondo explained that the new remake series was instrumental in adopting this multiplatform strategy. “For the Trails series, we had mainly focused on PS5 releases up until now, but with Trails in the Sky, we took the initiative to manage our own worldwide launches across Switch and PC (Steam) as well,” he stated.
Kondo did note that this approach was made easier by the fact that the games’ storylines were already locked in early development. In contrast, entirely new titles often involve last-minute adjustments that can complicate simultaneous multiplatform releases. Nevertheless, Nihon Falcom achieved “very strong outcomes” with this strategy, and Kondo confirmed that the studio’s “fundamental approach will now be to ultimately release our games globally across a sensible range of platforms.”
Kondo emphasized that Switch and PC platforms have been key in attracting new players to Nihon Falcom’s games. “For our series to thrive long-term, we must ensure titles are properly released on these platforms and work diligently on raising awareness,” he added. By consistently developing for newer platforms, Kondo believes the studio can continue drawing in players—even for established series like Trails—and thereby maintain a sustainable environment for ongoing game development.