The first Sword Art Online Variant Showdown gameplay trailer is now available to watch. The video showcases some of the game’s action mechanics as Kirito, Asuna, and Silica take on The Gleam Eyes.

You can check out the trailer below.

In addition to the trailer, some more information about the game was revealed by the game’s official English Facebook page.

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The details are as follows:

• Players battle with a party of three characters.
• There are three types of skills: Attack, Recovery, and Support.
• There are three character types: Attackers, Defenders, and Supporters.
  • Attackers specialize in close-range physical attacks.
  • Defenders can absorb damage while continuing to attack.
  • Supporters can buff allies and debuff enemies.
• Players can utilize the Switch function to string together more attacks and rack up more damage.
• Awakening characters gives them no cooldown and the ability to utilize Finishing Skills.
• A Battle Royale multiplayer mode is in development.

The game’s story is as follows:

“Have you heard of Cross Edge?”

It’s a title Kirito has heard before.
A game which has attracted a lot of attention from players,
not least because it was supposedly designed by a middle school genius.

One day at the Dicey Café, Kirito hears two rumors about Cross Edge.
The first: There’s a mysterious player who attacks out of nowhere.
Losing to them means losing a portion of your own memories.
The second: This player goes around wearing a hood pulled low to hide their eyes…

Kirito can’t help but recall Laughing Coffin, the player-killer guild he faced in SAO.
In part to investigate these rumors, Kirito and his friends begin playing Cross Edge…and are soon targeted in a surprise attack.

Sword Art Online Variant Showdown is a mobile game currently in development to celebrate the anime’s 10th anniversary. It will release in 2022 for Android and iOS devices. For more information you can check out its official website HERE.