Following the disappointing launch of XIII Remake, publisher Microids has announced that a major update is coming to the game later this year. The game is getting a complete rework and is being handled by a new developer, Tower Five. The update and a Nintendo Switch port of the game are coming out on September 13.

Refined art style, online multiplayer, improved AI, XIII is back with a bang!

(Re)discover the classic cel-shaded FPS on Nintendo Switch on September 13th, 2022.

A free major update and the online multiplayer mode will be available the same day on PS4, Xbox One and PC. pic.twitter.com/oKwZ8o37t5

— Microids (@Microids_off) June 30, 2022

XIII was originally released back in 2003. The game is an adaptation of the first 5 volumes of the Belgian graphic novel of the same name by artist William Vance and Writer Jean Van Hamme. It garnered attention at the time by emulating the comic’s cel-shaded look. The original XIII Remake released back in 2020. Following the poor reception, Microids and original developer PlayMagic released a statement saying “First and foremost, we would like to offer our most sincere apologies for the game’s technical issues. In its present state, XIII does not meet our quality standards and we fully understand players’ frustrations. The pandemic has impacted the game’s production on many levels. Pivoting to home working for the teams has added unexpected delays in the development schedule and the QA process. ”

Talking about the new update of the game, Microids said “To achieve the quality standards and offer an optimal gaming experience, Microids decided to entrust the development of XIII Remake to the French studio Tower Five (Lornsword: Winter Chronicle). Hard at work for more than a year on a major update for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC versions, the studio has also worked on the multiplayer content as well as the Nintendo Switch port of the game. This update, the multiplayer content and the Switch version will simultaneously be released on September 13th.”

Owners of XIII Remake on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC will get the update for free. Tower Five reworked the entire game from Art Direction, AI, to numerous technical improvements.

 Stephane Longeard, CEO of Microids said “We are fully aware and terribly sorry that the initial launch of XIII Remake on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC did not reach players’ expected quality standards. A bit more than a year ago we took the decision to hire the studio Tower Five to finish the development of the game. Tower Five worked with us in the past, notably on the great port of Agatha Christie: The ABC Murders on Nintendo Switch. We really wanted to take the time to fix the game and offer owners of XIII Remake a free update paying the best possible tribute to the original game we all love. The Nintendo Switch version of the game will of course benefit from all the work done to improve the game as well as the multiplayer mode, which will mark the end of the game’s development. We can’t wait for players to put their hands on this improved version of the game and (re)discover the classic adventures of Agent XIII, as soon as it’s released after the Summer.”