Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Switch 2 Edition gets December 3 date, new hero Shimmer

Switch owners can upgrade with a paid pack; the edition adds the wave-survival Heroes' Vault mode and a new hero, Shimmer, who can see the future.

Steven Mills · Published Sep 9, 2026, 12:46

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 screenshot from its Nintendo Direct September 2026 trailer

Nintendo dated Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Nintendo Switch 2 Edition at Nintendo Direct September 2026. The upgraded version of Monolith Soft’s 2022 role-playing game arrives on December 3, 2026, and the end card said players who own the game on Nintendo Switch can move up to the Switch 2 Edition by buying an upgrade pack.

The trailer opens on Noah, Mio and the rest of the party in the field before cutting to a new mode called Heroes’ Vault. Waves of enemies pour in against a timer, with objectives such as “survive and defeat the final boss” and “protect the target” shown on screen. “By taking them down, you’ll gradually fill this gauge,” the narration says. “Use it to strengthen your forces, enhance your abilities, or gain additional allies, but choose wisely: an almighty foe awaits you at the end.” A “choose an upgrade” screen lists options including Max HP Up, Basic Damage Up and Longer Debuffs.

The edition also adds a new hero, Shimmer, a blonde fighter in white and teal armour. Nintendo describes her as an attacker “with rapid-fire combos and powerful strikes” who “wields the foresight ability that allows her to see the future.” A short cutscene has her telling the party “my power will find you, time to get up.”

The Direct did not give a price for the Switch 2 Edition or the upgrade pack, and did not say whether Shimmer or Heroes’ Vault will reach the original Switch version.