Nihon Falcom is remaking the Trails series to battle its growing reputation as a “niche” franchise, according to president 

Nihon Falcom recently announced that Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter, a full 3D remake of the Trails’ series first entry, will be getting a simultaneous worldwide release in 2025 on PS5, Switch and Steam. In a shareholders meeting held on December 19, the company’s president Toshihiro Kondo spoke about why Nihon Falcom decided to remake the title, why it has taken 20 years to do so, and whether Trails fans can expect the other games to get the same treatment in the future. 

As reported by independent journalist Suzuki Online, Kondo told shareholders that it has taken a long time to get round to remaking the roots of the Trails series because of the company’s size. “Nihon Falcom is not a big company – we only have 64 employees, which is why we’ve inevitably had to devote our resources to making the latest Kai no Kiseki and Ys entries, as well as other titles.” 

However, as the Trails franchise became increasingly niche, with a declining number of new players, Kondo realized that it was necessary to breathe new life into the series. “When people come up to me and ask, “I want to get into the series, where should I start?,” I sometimes don’t know what to tell them,” he admits. Factors like the franchise’s variable availability across platforms and the nature of the games themselves make it hard to recommend a definitive Trails title to play first. 

However, the Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter remake will give newcomers an accessible entry point. Not only that, but the upcoming game is also intended as “a message to longtime fans who haven’t played in a while or have grown a bit distant from the series.” 

By bringing back the first title, Nihon Falcom hopes to “revitalize the Trails series, which has grown niche in recent years,” Kondo commented. In addition, he notes that the remake is Falcom’s response to growing concerns among Japanese game companies that the RPG genre is declining.  

As for subsequent other early Trails titles like Trails in the Sky SC and 3rd, Kondo says that Nihon Falcom hasn’t yet decided whether they will get their own remakes, but that the company would love to keep going with the project if Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter turns out to be a success. 

Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter is scheduled to be released for PS5, Nintendo Switch and Steam in 2025.