Octopath Traveler Dev Trademarks "HD-2D"

Square Enix has trademarked a term closely associated with its recent retro throwback Octopath Traveler, suggesting it may plan to use the phrase more in the future.

Gematsu reports that the company filed trademarks for "HD-2D" and "HD2D" in Europe. This isn't the first time Square has used the term, though, since it commonly referred to the aesthetic of Octopath Traveler this way. That game blended classically styled sprite art with 3D environments for a unique effect. Trademarking the term could mean the company is planning to use the technique again, either in a sequel to Octopath or some other project altogether.

Meanwhile, we're still waiting to hear what's coming next from the Bravely Default series. Last year the Octopath Traveler social media channels began teasing an announcement, seemingly leading to the reveal of Bravely Third. No formal announcement has been made yet, though the teaser still sits as a pinned tweet on the Bravely Twitter.

Producers Masashi Takahashi and Tomoya Asano were both involved with Bravely Second before moving on to produce Octopath Traveler. Despite wildly different appearances, the two carry some gameplay mechanics in common like the ability to store attacks for a multi-attack later. If a Bravely Third announcement is on the horizon, the studio could be splitting its efforts between the two series or alternating between them.