(FULL DISCLAIMER: I am not saying this is "evidence", and I am certainly not saying this is proof that the game will release anytime soon.)
Anyway! Let's once and for all try to deduce, when exactly Unchained X will release to the western audience. Why am I doing this, you ask? The short answer is: for fun. It's fun theorising, it's fun discussing about it, and I've wanted for a long time to weigh in on the topic, with my own opinions and theories regarding the infamous release date.
Yes yes, I know, I know. Why bother? The game will release sometime, we all know that. I'm just here to potentially ease the wait, and possibly predict when exactly it will drop.
Without further ado: let's get into it.
So we've all known for quite a while, that the game released in Japan last september. More specifically the 3rd of september 2015. What else do we know? Well, we know that the game was revealed to be in development and on it's way to the US in may of the same year. We got an english trailer at E3 2015, and since then we haven't really heard anything.
At least not officially. You see, on the same day that the game released in Japan, the Australian Board of Classification posted this, on their official site:
Doesn't seem like much, eh? Could just be that they played the japanese version of the game, and thereby rated it based on that. That's not my theory though, I think it's just a coincedence. They were definitely preparing to release the game in Australia (and to some extent, the rest of the western world), in the coming months. If we look at the history of classifications on Kingdom Hearts games, we can see that the ratings tend to fall a few months before release.
Furthermore, we know for a fact that the game was at least partially playable in english, as was shown in the E3 trailer. Whoever gave the game a G-rating in Australia, clearly played a good portion of the game before being able to give a standing verdict.
All that aside, at least now we know, that the game will be coming to other nations. What about Europe, then? Well, not long after the reveal of 2.8, the french Square Enix Boutique updated their site with a description of 2.8 that read as followed:
"... KINGDOM HEARTS Unchained x [chi], which is due out soon."
Keep in mind, that this was posted on the OFFICIAL Square Enix storepage for France; which pretty much confirms a European release as well. Furthermore, it tells us that localization for the game probably started a long time ago.
Yes yes that's great and all, but Avondale, what's that got to do with the prediction of the release date? I'm getting there. Anyway, these few pieces of "evidence" leads me to believe, that Square Enix is sitting on the (nearly complete [i'll get to that]) game, waiting for the right time to release it. And when is that? It's in march.
Why do I think that? First of, let's take a look at what Nomura himself said back in september, when the gamereleased in Japan:
As far as I know, they've followed this pattern quite well, and are as of right now, pretty much caught up with the original x[chi]-browser game. But that's irrelevant, the important thing is the "around Jan 2016" part. I'd say february/march was quite close to "around", and maybe they didn't take the newly added Beast's Castle into consideration at the time. My theory is that the main questline will come to a close, starting next month.
I'm not saying they will stop support for the game, I just think that Nomura's planned "50 stages each month" storyline will come to an end. What better way to release it here in the west, than at that time, when the game is essentially complete? The definitive version.
All this leads me to speculate, that the final main story update for the japanese version of the game will roll out at the start of march, followed by a worldwide complete game release shortly after. Whether or not the main story will continue after that is a theory for another time, however, I think it's highly likely that it will. It jus't wasn't planned at the time. As I said before, Nomura originally only planned to add new stages all throughout the rest of 2015, including january 2016.
So to sum up, and conclude: I think the game will release sometime in march, solely because of the fact that Square Enix seems to have been sitting on the game, for quite a while now, just waiting for the right time. The right time is nigh, the story that Nomura had planned is seemingly drawing to a close, and the game is nearing its completion in terms of that. It's highly likely that the game is playable in an english state, seeing as how it was rated by the Australian Board of Certification half a year ago. Maybe even in french, who knows?
All this leads me to believe, that based on my own speculations; the game is indeed releasing next month. Possibly. Maybe. We'll see, I'm definitely putting my money on it though! Feel free to weigh in on it with your own speculations, and maybe even prove me wrong or right?
(Keep in mind, that I'm certainly not saying that it 100% will! This is all just speculation based on minor details, and I am in no way saying this is evidence. I can't stress it enough.)
---
Bonus! Look at the release pattern for another Square Enix mobile game released in september:
AND! The classification came after the game had released, somewhat "proving" that they had to play en english version of the game before giving a verdict.
(FULL DISCLAIMER: I am not saying this is "evidence", and I am certainly not saying this is proof that the game will release anytime soon.)
Anyway! Let's once and for all try to deduce, when exactly Unchained X will release to the western audience.
Why am I doing this, you ask? The short answer is: for fun. It's fun theorising, it's fun discussing about it, and I've wanted for a long time to weigh in on the topic, with my own opinions and theories regarding the infamous release date.
Yes yes, I know, I know. Why bother? The game will release sometime, we all know that. I'm just here to potentially ease the wait, and possibly predict when exactly it will drop.
Without further ado: let's get into it.
So we've all known for quite a while, that the game released in Japan last september. More specifically the 3rd of september 2015. What else do we know? Well, we know that the game was revealed to be in development and on it's way to the US in may of the same year. We got an english trailer at E3 2015, and since then we haven't really heard anything.
At least not officially. You see, on the same day that the game released in Japan, the Australian Board of Classification posted this, on their official site:
Doesn't seem like much, eh? Could just be that they played the japanese version of the game, and thereby rated it based on that. That's not my theory though, I think it's just a coincedence. They were definitely preparing to release the game in Australia (and to some extent, the rest of the western world), in the coming months. If we look at the history of classifications on Kingdom Hearts games, we can see that the ratings tend to fall a few months before release.
Furthermore, we know for a fact that the game was at least partially playable in english, as was shown in the E3 trailer. Whoever gave the game a G-rating in Australia, clearly played a good portion of the game before being able to give a standing verdict.
All that aside, at least now we know, that the game will be coming to other nations. What about Europe, then? Well, not long after the reveal of 2.8, the french Square Enix Boutique updated their site with a description of 2.8 that read as followed:
"... KINGDOM HEARTS Unchained x [chi], which is due out soon."
Keep in mind, that this was posted on the OFFICIAL Square Enix storepage for France; which pretty much confirms a European release as well. Furthermore, it tells us that localization for the game probably started a long time ago.
Yes yes that's great and all, but Avondale, what's that got to do with the prediction of the release date? I'm getting there. Anyway, these few pieces of "evidence" leads me to believe, that Square Enix is sitting on the (nearly complete [i'll get to that]) game, waiting for the right time to release it. And when is that? It's in march.
Why do I think that? First of, let's take a look at what Nomura himself said back in september, when the gamereleased in Japan:
As far as I know, they've followed this pattern quite well, and are as of right now, pretty much caught up with the original x[chi]-browser game. But that's irrelevant, the important thing is the "around Jan 2016" part. I'd say february/march was quite close to "around", and maybe they didn't take the newly added Beast's Castle into consideration at the time. My theory is that the main questline will come to a close, starting next month.
I'm not saying they will stop support for the game, I just think that Nomura's planned "50 stages each month" storyline will come to an end. What better way to release it here in the west, than at that time, when the game is essentially complete? The definitive version.
All this leads me to speculate, that the final main story update for the japanese version of the game will roll out at the start of march, followed by a worldwide complete game release shortly after. Whether or not the main story will continue after that is a theory for another time, however, I think it's highly likely that it will. It jus't wasn't planned at the time. As I said before, Nomura originally only planned to add new stages all throughout the rest of 2015, including january 2016.
So to sum up, and conclude: I think the game will release sometime in march, solely because of the fact that Square Enix seems to have been sitting on the game, for quite a while now, just waiting for the right time. The right time is nigh, the story that Nomura had planned is seemingly drawing to a close, and the game is nearing its completion in terms of that. It's highly likely that the game is playable in an english state, seeing as how it was rated by the Australian Board of Certification half a year ago. Maybe even in french, who knows?
All this leads me to believe, that based on my own speculations; the game is indeed releasing next month. Possibly. Maybe. We'll see, I'm definitely putting my money on it though! Feel free to weigh in on it with your own speculations, and maybe even prove me wrong or right?
(Keep in mind, that I'm certainly not saying that it 100% will! This is all just speculation based on minor details, and I am in no way saying this is evidence. I can't stress it enough.)
---
Bonus! Look at the release pattern for another Square Enix mobile game released in september:
AND! The classification came after the game had released, somewhat "proving" that they had to play en english version of the game before giving a verdict.
I rest my case.
Edited by Epic Avondale