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New Echoes of Aincrad Characters Revealed as Launch Approaches

Bandai Namco details key companions for Echoes of Aincrad, including a two-handed sword fighter, a beta test partner, and a mysterious solo mentor.

Updated By Aincrad.wiki Editorial Team

New Companions Join the Fray

Bandai Namco shared details about support characters in a Steam update, presenting three companion archetypes involved in the climb through the floating fortress.

The first companion is a two-handed sword-wielding warrior who prioritizes protecting his allies, meeting the player's group during a search for new raid members. The second is Yori (also referred to by players as Lori), a companion present since the beta test who is described as a lore enthusiast eager to clear the death game. The third is a solo sword fighter who served as a mentor, teaching players the basics during the initial beta test.

The original post left the names vague, which led fans to identify the solo mentor as Kirito. That theory is part of the pre-release reaction, not the roster evidence used by this site; the current partner guide follows Bandai Namco's named partner list and documented weapon roles.

Anime Expo Panel Reveals Upcoming Movie Announcement

During the Anime Expo panel, organizers scheduled a Sword Art Online anime movie announcement for July 6 at 9:00 AM Pacific Time. The dated announcement illustrates how Bandai Namco coordinated the broader franchise media push around the game's July release.

Demo Gripes Put Pressure on $70 Price Tag

Despite the promotional push, player feedback for the active demo has been mixed. Critics and users have voiced concerns regarding the game's structural choices, pointing to rigid progression constraints and limited initial options.

Key points of friction include:

  • Locked Character Customization: Players are frustrated by the inability to access full character creation settings during the opening hours of the demo.
  • Weapon Constraints: The demo restricts players to specific starting setups, preventing immediate experimentation with the game's diverse weapons.
  • Repetitive Companions: Companions like Yori have drawn criticism for spamming identical audio cues during combat and exploration.
  • Single-Player Focus: A segment of the community remains skeptical about the lack of robust multiplayer options, given the franchise's MMO-inspired roots.

These demo issues have intensified discussions around the $70 price tag, with some players questioning whether the content justifies a premium launch price.

Death Game Mode's Published Value Proposition

The high-stakes Death Game Mode is published around its permanent-save-deletion rule. This article does not assign exclusive items or cosmetics to the mode because its cited announcement did not advertise those rewards; the value proposition discussed here is the self-contained permadeath challenge itself.

Sources