Sword Art Online Season 3 and a second SAO anime was just announced on stage at Dengeki Bunko Fall Festival 2017 in Japan. The official SAO website has confirmed that Sword Art Online: Alicization will be joined by a new anime adaptation based on Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online. What’s more, a short teaser trailer was shown and it is already available online to watch.

The first major stage event at Dengeki Bunko Fall Festival 2017 featured appearances by Kirito/Kazuto Kirigaya voice actor Matsuoka Sadako, Asuna Yuki voice actress Haruka Tomatsu, SAO light novel author Reki Kawahara, Dengeki Bunko editor Kazuma Miki, and Fumiaki Futami of Bandai Namco Entertainment (BNE). Voice actress Rina Hidaka, who plays as the SAO character Silica/Keiko Ayano in the anime, was the host for the stage event.

Sword Art Online Season 3 Based On SAO: Project Alicization Light Novel Series

The adaptation of Sword Art Online: Alicization will probably take at least two to three seasons of anime. To put things into perspective, the first two seasons of the anime only covered the events of eight light novel volumes. Sword Art Online Volume 18 ended the Project Alicization arc, which means there are 10 volumes worth of source material for SAO Season 3 to draw upon.

In addition, Sword Art Online Volume 19: Moon Cradle, which was published in Japan in February of 2017, extended the story with events that took place before the end of the Project Alicization Arc. Therefore, it’s probably safe to presume that Sword Art Online Season 3 will probably end somewhere in the middle of the Project Alicization story arc.

[Image by abec/Sword Art Online: Alicization Anime TV Promo]

You can check out the Sword Art Online Season 3 trailer below.

The main SAO cast will reprise their roles for Sword Art Online Season 3. Yoshitsugu Matsuoka returns as Kirito and Haruka Tomatsu as Asuna. New cast members were announced, with Nobunaga Shimazaki playing as Eugeo (the boy with the blue sword), and Ai Kayano will play Alice (the blonde female knight).

Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online Light Novels Are The Basis For The New Anime

While Kirito, Asuna, and the SAO characters of the main story are already world famous, many anime fans probably have not heard about the light novel series called Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online. The books were written by Sigsawa Keiichi yet supervised by series creator Kawahara Reki. The series is already up to Volume 6, which should be more than enough for a two-cour season (the exact number of episodes for the GGO anime has yet to be announced).

The main character of the SAO spinoff is named Karen Kohiruimaki, but she goes by the name LLENN in the Gun Gale Online game world. The girl uses a short avatar in-game and is known for wearing cute, girly clothing. So, yes, she dresses entirely in pink and even her guns are pink.

LLENN is the pink powerhouse in the Squad Jam GGO tournament. Pitohui is wearing all black and has the tattoo on her cheek. Miyu is wielding the dual grenade launchers. Featured image credit: abec 'Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online' Anime TV Promo

LLENN is addicted to the thrill of ambushing other players in Gun Gale Online but she annoyed so many people that they started forming parties to hunt her down. Feeling guilty, LLENN went back to hunting monsters but she eventually meets another female gamer named Pitohui. They become fast friends over tea while discussing real guns like the P90.

The two women form a squadron composed of just the two of them and eventually they hear about a new team tournament called Squad Jam. Through this tournament, Karen begins to meet other gamer girls in real life. Thus, these girls determine to take on the pros and make a name for themselves.

“On the night of the second Squad Jam, people will die.”

Since this is SAO, it should not be surprising that the game eventually turns serious, becoming a battle to the death. At stake is the death of Pitohui in the real world.

The cast of the SAO: Gun Gale Online anime has already been announced. Tomoroi Kusunoki will play as the main character LLENN. Yoko Hikasa is Pitohui. Kazuyuki Okitsu is M. Chinatsu Akasaki is Fukaziroh.

For those wanting spoilers for Sword Art Online Season 3, previous articles from the Inquisitr have provided a synopsis of what Project Alicization is, how Kirito and Asuna were separated during much of the Underworld story, and what happens to the main characters in the real world at the ending of the SAO: Project Alicization story arc. Needless to say, anime fans should be looking forward to the Sword Art Online Season 3 release date!

[Featured Image by abec/Sword Art Online: Alicization Anime TV Promo]