Octopath Traveler’s Switch 2 Pricing Has One Option That Makes Almost No Sense

2 hours ago 3

Octopath Travelers Switch 2 Pricing Has One Option That Makes Almost No Sense

Published Jul 13, 2026, 6:08 PM EDT

Tay Garcia is a Contributor at DualShockers and a Brazilian journalist who has been covering games professionally since 2017. Her work spans news, reviews, previews, lists, guides, and features, with a particular focus on horror, retro games, theories, puzzle games, Metroidvanias, Soulslikes, and story-driven titles.

Before joining DualShockers, Tay worked as an assistant editor and contributed to Jovem Nerd, one of Brazil’s largest pop culture outlets, as well as Editora Europa, a major Brazilian publisher known for gaming and technology magazines. She has also worked as a streamer, YouTube creator, and podcaster. Tay holds a B.A. in Journalism, has postgraduate training in Social Media, and is certified in professional video game journalism. She was also a member of Podcast UP, which won the Cubo de Ouro Award for Best Podcast in Brazil in 2021.

There are certain games that simply remind us why we love a genre so much, and that is exactly the case with Octopath Traveler titles and turn-based RPGs.

With its gorgeous, nostalgic “HD-2D” visual style and an intricate, multi-character structure, Square Enix’s title immediately captured the industry's attention when it was originally launched back in 2018. And the sequel only doubled down on that charm a few years later, refining the mechanics and proving that the franchise has a very comfortable future ahead of it.

However, there is another prominent aspect of the company’s ongoing release strategy nowadays that has sparked some serious conversation among players across social media platforms lately: the corporate giant's apparent refusal to implement seamless upgrade paths for Nintendo’s most recent hardware.

With the Switch 2 officially out in the wild for about a year now, fans naturally assumed that transitioning their gaming libraries to the upgraded console would be quite a straightforward path. Yet, the newly announced pricing structure for the upcoming Octopath Traveler collection (which includes I & II) features one specific business option that makes almost no logical sense whatsoever, leaving a portion of the fanbase utterly confused.

A Steep Penalty for Loyalty

The confusion stems from the fact that while a joint bundle featuring both acclaimed RPG entries is headed to the Nintendo Switch 2 on October 1, Square Enix has decided to offer zero upgrade incentives for existing players.

Traditionally, when a major publisher brings an older title to current-gen hardware, they offer a consumer-friendly option (such as a heavily discounted $10 digital upgrade or even a free patch, if we're lucky enough) for players who already purchased the game physically or digitally on older systems.

Instead, the Japanese studio's retail pricing strategy forces returning veterans into a full-price ultimatum if they want to play the Switch 2 version (thanks, Wario64, for the info). So, if you already poured countless hours into exploring the continent of Solistia on your original Switch and want to experience the improved framerates and resolutions on the new hardware, your only option is to buy the exact same software package all over again at full retail cost.

By the way, Square Enix has also confirmed that save file data transfers are off the table. Both Octopath Traveler games are notoriously lengthy experiences packed to the brim with optional dungeons, tactical side quests, and brutal hidden bosses. Forcing players to discard a 100-hour save file just to experience a smoother framerate on their shiny new console is definitely a hard sell, and it turns the prospect of a premium double-dip into a non-starter for the core community.

Debates surrounding anti-consumer storefront practices are certainly nothing new in the gaming landscape, making community backlash almost inevitable whenever a publisher tries to charge full price for a technical polish.

What makes the situation with Octopath Traveler I & II even more frustrating is that this isn't an isolated incident for the company. Square Enix has been in hot water repeatedly in the recent past for ignoring modern upgrade standards. Some examples are the recent releases Octopath Traveler 0 and the physical launch of Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake, which similarly forced players to lock themselves into a single console ecosystem, offering zero digital flexibility.

But, if you happen to be a lucky newcomer jumping into these gorgeous pixel-art worlds for the very first time on your new Switch 2, the upcoming version is undeniably the definitive package to pick up. The physical and digital editions will boast crisp resolutions and fluid performance upgrades that make the original versions look their age. However, if you are a returning veteran, you'd better have some serious extra cash on hand if you want to double-dip.