Bravely Default 2 Pushed To 2021 On Nintendo Switch

Bravely Default 2 has finally gotten a release date, but it slipped out of its 2020 release window in the process. A new Nintendo Direct Partner Mini video announced that the Nintendo Switch game is coming on February 26, 2021. Preorders on the Nintendo eShop are now available.

"We originally announced that #BravelyDefault II would release in 2020, but more development time is necessary to ensure this RPG experience is the best it can be," Nintendo of America said on Twitter. "Thank you for your patience, and we hope you look forward to setting out on your search for the crystals on 2/26."

The presentation showed off a handful of new jobs for the retro-style RPG, including the Vanguard, White Mage, Beastmaster, and Gambler. Those jobs are made available by finding Asterisk bearers, and once you've mastered a job you can combine its skills together with other jobs by setting it as a sub-class.

A demo of Bravely Default 2 was made available in March, and Square Enix said it was soliciting feedback from that demo. The presentation mentioned that Square Enix has been concentrating on addressing the comments it received, especially regarding game difficulty and controls. A video detailing the changes made due to fan feedback is said to be coming soon.

Somewhat confusingly given the name, Bravely Default 2 is actually the third game in the Bravely series, following Bravely Default: Flying Fairy and Bravely Second: End Layer. Bravely Second had its own story that continued from the first game, along with new mechanics and job classes, but it revisited many locations and starred the same cast of characters. Square Enix has been emphasizing that Bravely Default 2 features an entirely new cast of characters.

This is the same team at Square Enix that made another retro-style RPG, Octopath Traveler.

The announcement came as part of a surprise Nintendo Direct featuring announcements from third-parties. That also included word of a Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity demo and cloud streaming versions of Control and Hitman 3.