First announced and released in 2021 by Bandai Namco Entertainment, Sword Art Online: Variant Showdown is a real-time battle RPG mobile game set in the Sword Art Online universe. It was intended to follow the success of prior Sword Art Online mobile titles, like Sword Art Online: Memory Defrag and Sword Art Online: Integral Factor. The game introduced a fresh take on the SAO franchise with PvP battles, customizable avatars, and real-time combat mechanics. Players form teams of recognizable characters from the Sword Art Online anime and face off against them in teams of three. These matches gradually unveil the game’s narrative, which expands upon the anime’s pre-existing lore.

Unfortunately, Sword Art Online: Variant Showdown faced a variety of issues following its initial launch. Players expressed discontent with the game’s gacha system, claiming that it made certain characters and upgrades impossible to obtain without spending actual money. There were also concerns regarding the game’s server stability and overall balance, leading to a general sense of discontent among many fans.

These issues led to a series updates and specific alterations, which continued until the game entered an extended maintenance period in late 2022. The game has been in this state for over a year, making it temporarily unavailable to players as developers worked on various fixes and improvements. Fans experiences mixed emotions as all of the game’s official servers were taken offline, as little information about what changes would be implemented or the maintenance’s timeline were provided.

Fans received good news yesterday when Sword Art Online: Variant Showdown announced its re-release via a post on the game’s official X (formerly Twitter) account. The post assures players that the game’s “re-release is coming soon” and encourages them to repost and like the announcement enough to hit a total 3,000 and earn Variant Crystals. A short clip included in the post showcases new features coming to the game, including a new multiplayer combat system and over 100 updates.

#SAOVS Re-Release coming soon!
Hit a total of 3,000 reposts and likes on social media around the world, and get Variant Crystals!

Campaign period: Until 12/26 14:59 (UTC) pic.twitter.com/O3GfhokHnb

— Sword Art Online Variant Showdown (@SAOVS_WW) December 12, 2024

Bandai Namco Entertainment also released an alternate announcement video on YouTube, featuring in-depth explanations and commentary by the Takeuchi, the Sword art Online mobile game producer. The video includes English subtitles, making it easily accessible for mobile gamers in the United States.

According to the Sword Art Online: Variant Showdown’s official X account description, the game is set to “resume in this winter.” It will be available worldwide as a free-to-play game on both iOS and Android devices following its re-release.