Nihon Falcom is changing the way it brings its games to players around the world, and the success of Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter appears to be the turning point.
For many years, Falcom treated PlayStation as the main home for beloved role-playing series such as Trails. That made sense for the company’s traditional audience, but the market has shifted. PC and Nintendo Switch players have become increasingly important for Japanese RPGs, and Falcom now seems ready to embrace a broader global release strategy.
Falcom president Toshihiro Kondo recently explained that the strong performance of Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter helped convince the company to take worldwide multiplatform launches more seriously. The remake, released in 2025, was one of Falcom’s biggest steps toward launching a major title at the same time across Steam, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 5 instead of prioritizing PlayStation first.
The results were reportedly very positive. Steam and Switch brought in a significant number of new players, showing that Falcom’s long-running franchises have major potential beyond their traditional platform base. That is especially important for Trails, a series that has been growing for more than 20 years and can feel intimidating to newcomers because of its deep lore, connected storylines, and large cast of characters.
By bringing Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter to multiple platforms at launch, Falcom made it easier for new fans to experience the beginning of the saga without waiting for delayed ports. For a story-heavy RPG series, accessibility matters. The more platforms a game reaches on day one, the easier it becomes for players around the world to join the conversation.
Kondo said Falcom’s basic strategy going forward is to release games worldwide across a reasonable range of platforms whenever development conditions make it possible. This does not mean every title will automatically launch everywhere at the same time, but it does signal a clear shift in priorities. The company now sees simultaneous global releases as a major opportunity rather than a secondary option.
Remakes are especially well suited to this approach. Since the main story, characters, and overall structure are already established, the development team can plan ports more efficiently. New games are more complicated because scripts, systems, and design elements can continue changing late into development, making simultaneous multiplatform releases harder to manage.
The business impact is already visible. Falcom recently reported major growth, including a 111 percent increase in revenue and a 485 percent rise in operating profit across three quarters. Strong sales of Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter in both Japan and international markets were highlighted as a key reason for the improvement.
The next major test for this strategy will be Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter. The follow-up is scheduled to launch worldwide on September 17 for PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2. That lineup shows Falcom is continuing to prioritize a wider audience and stronger global availability.
One platform is still missing, however. Xbox players remain left out for now, and Falcom has not yet indicated when or if the Trails series will receive broader Xbox support.
Still, the message is clear: Falcom’s PlayStation-first era is no longer the company’s only path forward. With PC and Switch audiences responding strongly, the future of Trails and other Falcom RPGs looks increasingly global, multiplatform, and easier for new fans to discover.
