The next Valkyria Chronicles game has been announced. Valkyria Chronicles 4 is due out in Spring 2018 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, publisher Sega announced today.

Valkyria Chronicles 4 is set in the same timeline as the previous games, taking place in 1935 in the midst of a World War II-inspired battle between the Atlantic Federation and the Autocratic Eastern Imperial Alliance. "Although the Federation struggles valiantly against the Empire's forces, the relentless imperial military machine threatens to consume them," reads a line from Sega's press release. "With victory slipping away, the Federation executes Operation Northern Cross: a last-ditch attempt to capture the imperial capital and end the war. Commander Claude Wallace and his loyal childhood friends in Squad E are sent to fight for the desperate operation's success, but they will have to endure harsh bone-chilling elements, waves of imperial soldiers, and the terrifying Valkyria... and unravel a grave truth that will shake them to the core."

Valkyria Chronicles 4 is still a tactical RPG, and the art will look familiar in that Sega describes it as having a "vibrant and evocative art style that portrays a living canvas of watercolors..."

The game has all-new characters, including "young Commander Claude Wallace, engineer/heavy weapons extraordinaire Riley Miller, hotheaded Darcsen Raz, ice-cold ace sniper Kai Schulen, and more. Together, they will experience the painful realities of war..."

The combat in Valkyria Chronicles 4 is split between turn-based strategy, RPG, and third-person shooting. New for Valkyria Chronicles 4 is a new class, the Grenadier, along with more battleship support options.

Valkyria composer Hitoshi Sakimoto is coming back to again do the music for Valkyria Chronicles 4. A teaser website for the game has opened, but there isn't much on it. For now, you can check out the first trailer embedded above.

The Valkyria Chronicles series started in 2008 with Valkyria Chronicles for PlayStation 3, followed by a PSP sequel in 2010. The Japan-only Valkyria Chronicles 3 followed for PSP in 2011; it was not released in English, but fans took matters into their own hands.