Digimon, the monster-raising/battling franchise, is getting a re-release ofDigimon World: Next Orderon the Nintendo Switch. The game is the sixth entry intheDigimon Worldseriesand represents the beginning of a six-year drought of releases - until now.
The originalDigimon Worldgame for PS1 launched all the way back in 1999. In fact, it was actually released before theDigimonanimated series, which aired later that year. Within 2 years,Digimon World 2andDigimon World 3would both come to fruition. Over the next decade and a half, the series would see sporadic releases of 3 more games, starting withDigimon World 4then followed byDigimon World: Re-Digitize.Finally, in 2017, the year following its Japanese launch,Digimon World: Next Ordergot a North American release.
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Now, fans of the long-running series are getting a new release of its most recent game, this time for the Nintendo Switch. DubbedDigimon World: Next Order International Edition, Bandai Namco initially announced the re-release in the most recent issue ofthe weekly Famitsu Magazine. The game will see a Japanese release on May 16, 2025, and though a North American release date has not been revealed, an announcement is expected.
Details on the precise differences and improvements between the original release ofDigimon World: Next Orderand its international edition are sparse so far. But two new features have been divulged: A beginner mode will be included, offering players a more casual experience, and the ability to run, allowing for more convenient navigation. The latter seems like a no-brainer when it comes tolessons a modern RPG should already know, making it somewhat of a surprise it wasn’t included in the game’s original release.
Hopefully, this release injects some renewed interest in the west forDigimongames. Though it received fair reviews,fans were not pleased withDigimon Survive, and the lastDigimongame the west got before that was the follow-up toDigimon Story: Cyber Sleuth calledDigimon Story: Cyber Sleuth - Hacker’s Memoryin 2017.And according to reports, that game was much closer to an expansion of its predecessor than it was a true sequel. What’s more, there have been manyDigimongames developed since the franchise’s inception that never saw the light of day in the west, including several titles in theStoryseries.
Suffice it to say that western gamers have been going through aDigimondry spell. But the original North American release ofDigimon World: Next Orderreceived fairly good reviews, and, with luck, the addition of new features and its release on such a widespread console will give the international edition the chance to shine.
Digimon World: Next Order International Editionwill release on Nintendo Switch on July 29, 2025, in Japan. The western release date is TBD.
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