• *All translations in this blog are tentative and may be subject to change upon official release.

Thoughts on the Story

Have you already played the Story Mode? I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Actually, the version shown in the demo is a bit shorter than in the final release. This wasn't done to hold back content, but due to various circumstances... The final version will be even richer in content, so I hope you're looking forward to it!

We're unable to update the demo on Nintendo Switch, but for other platforms, we are considering to include a bit of extra content. This story is about an underdog team's rise to greatness... but it begins with creating a "football club" and even the "system of football" itself from scratch. While it carries the DNA of the Inazuma Eleven series, this game will be something new. Previously, we said we wouldn't include past characters in the main story, yet we did sneak in a few, like Neil Turner from Brainwashing Jr High. (Speaking of which, we should consider changing this English translation...) Future appearances of past characters, given the 25-year time gap, will see them in outstanding support roles, shining in their own way.

A Protagonist Unlike Any in the Series' Past

When we created the character and story of Destin Billows, we had concerns about whether he would be liked. However, each statement Destin makes has meaning and reason behind it. We believed that if we could portray such a character, he could ultimately become very likable, so we took on the challenge. As I mentioned before, given that most players might not play football themselves, having a protagonist who cannot play football but whose presence is justified through others might foster special empathy. As the story progresses, Destin will become a character with even more intriguing charm. And he might take some extraordinary actions, too...!?

Still No Football in Sight...

This time, I've grown fond of all the characters and have taken great care in portraying each one. As a result, the story turned out quite lengthy! Some might complain that they've been playing for a while and still haven't gotten to play football yet, but I believe the process of creating the football club is extremely enjoyable. So please take your time and savor every moment. It's not every day you get to experience something as rare as being an interviewer!
What? You still want to play football right away?
Well, no worries! In the demo, you can experience the football system in Competition Mode, and in the final release version, we've changed it so you'll be able to play Chronicle Mode from the start without needing to progress through the story. If you just want to enjoy matches, you'll have the option to ignore the story completely and dive into Chronicle Mode right away. There are as many ways to play Inazuma Eleven as there are players, and we aim to create a game that supports all of them.
We've taken our time, but we promise the game will exceed your expectations, so stay tuned for more!

• *All translations in this blog are tentative and may be subject to change upon official release.

First of all, we have achieved 1 million downloads of the demo, and players are spending even more time playing it than we expected. Thank you very much for your anticipation and support for Inazuma Eleven!
Our entire team is greatly motivated by this. Today, we would like to share that a new update of the Beta Test Demo is now available! Along with this announcement, we will be discussing the future of Inazuma Eleven over two nights, starting tonight.

1. Story Mode

The Gradual Evolution of a Football RPG System
You can finally play the first chapter of Story Mode! The content is quite unique, and you might find yourselves thinking, "What are we even playing...?" Your first impression after playing might be, "When does the football part of this Hyper-dimensional Football RPG come in?" The focus of this story isn't a weak football club becoming stronger - it starts even before that.
The theme of this story is the grand task of creating a football club from scratch. With that in mind, we wanted to give players a real sense of actually building the club. This means that we want you to experience "football" coming together gradually not only through the story but also the gameplay system.
As the story progresses, the game system also changes, over time becoming more and more like a football RPG. Can you imagine it? For example, right from the beginning, there's the "Football Chest," a phantom ball created by Destin's grudge against football. By kicking it, you can obtain items.
However, after Destin meets a certain person in the future, in addition to the "phantom ball," a "phantom player" who can receive the ball also begins to emerge. I won't give away everything to keep it interesting, but imagine the school facilities, battles, and Football Chests to all start embracing football more and more, causing the systems to evolve and become increasingly football-like.
This time, you will find a different charm compared to previous games that were immersed in football from the very beginning! Please look forward to it. If you haven't played the Beta Test Demo Ver 1.1.0's Story Mode yet, I recommend playing it first and then rereading this post with a deeper understanding.

• *The game scenes shown in the images are not included in the Beta Test Demo.

2. Competition Mode

A Match System Improved by Player Feedback
We have gathered as much feedback from the Beta Test Demo Ver 1.0.0 as possible, and have greatly improved the Ver 1.1.0 match system as a result. Regarding communication lag, we have reduced the data usage to one-tenth of Ver 1.0.0, while also enhancing the overall performance. The final version will be further refined for an even better experience. Additionally, the final version will see a significant increase in the variety of character animations and other aspects. You will also be able to assemble your favorite team from over 4,500 players, greatly expanding the range of gameplay. It will be a lot of fun!

Among those who have played the demo and seriously engaged with the “Character Training,” there are concerns that the final version will be a game where developing characters takes an excessive amount of time. This is a major misunderstanding, and I would like to clarify this point.

For example, in terms of “strength”, developing a single character will be more convenient and faster than in the demo. However, in the final version, “Training” is not just about strength. Elements such as the character's inner aspects, fashion, and relationships with other characters will be added, allowing players to enjoy a much deeper method of character training.
In this sense, this could become a game in which you can happily spend endless hours. We will gradually reveal more about this aspect, but I assure you that the new Inazuma Eleven will not waste your time. Within the project team, we're even trying to establish the term “Rapid Balance,” meaning you can rapidly acquire and level up your charaters! We will discuss the elements that make this game enjoyable for years to come on another occasion, so please stay tuned!

3. Towards the Final Release Version

Conversion into a Lighter Game
If you've played both Story Mode and Competition Mode, you may have noticed that while the story is designed to be light and easy to enjoy, the Competition Mode is much more complex. The target audiences for both modes are quite different. We take pride in our match system, which effectively reflects player skill, making it an excellent competitive system. However, the issue is that not all players want to constantly test their gaming abilities.
This applies to various aspects, but the most notably the action element. Therefore, in the final release version, we will introduce the "Manager AI Mode (Commander Mode)" to ensure that even light players who are not good at action gameplay can enjoy the game. This system allows the match to be controlled by simple commands instead of direct actions. Of course, not only can you give commands during the match, but you can also set up the AI before the match to instruct the general movements during the game. You can let the AI handle the action operations while carrying out the strategy you envisioned. I'm certain that this innovative system could be a game-changer for "Victory Road."

We believe that the Inazuma Eleven series has a wide variety of charms. There's the passionate story, the excitement of competitive battles and Special Moves, and the love for its diverse characters. Different people have their own unique ways of loving Inazuma Eleven. This time, we aim to create a game that accomodates both light and hardcore players, catering to all these different ways of love.

So, for now, enjoy the second wave of the Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road Worldwide Beta Test Demo "Leave Your Inazuma Mark on the World!"