Level-5 was hesitant about a new Professor Layton game, but received a strong push from within the industry, says CEO 

During the recently held “Level-5 Vision 2024” showcase, Level-5 unveiled a trailer for Professor Layton and the New World of Steam. Initially announced in a Nintendo Direct broadcast in 2023, the upcoming title is scheduled to launch in 2025 – eight years after the Professor Layton series last saw a new entry. However, it seems the developer initially considered the series to be completed, and was not planning for it to make a comeback. According to Level-5’s CEO Akihiro Hino, fans may have Nintendo to thank for the long-awaited sequel. 

During Tokyo Game Show 2024, Hino participated in a dialogue with Dragon Quest series creator Yuji Horii. During the conversation, Hino addressed the new Layton game (which was showcased at the convention), commenting, “There hasn’t been [a new title] in almost 10 years. The series concluded briefly.” He goes on to explain that he had qualms about making a new Professor Layton game, as the series had previously reached a “beautiful” conclusion. 

However, the Level-5 leader apparently changed his mind thanks to encouragement from within the industry. “Certain individual(s) from the industry really wanted us to release a new game…we had a strong push coming from company “N.” By “N,” Hino is most likely referring to Nintendo. Professor Layton is one of the Nintendo DS’s most successful exclusive series, and Nintendo has been the overseas publisher for a number of Layton titles to date – so it would come as no surprise that someone from Nintendo pushed for the franchise’s comeback. 

“When I heard these opinions, I started to think it would be good to make a new game so that fans could enjoy the series at the level of quality provided by the latest console,” Hino concluded. 

Professor Layton and the New World of Steam is scheduled to launch in 2025 for the Nintendo Switch.