More than a year on from its initial announcement, Valkyria Revolution (previously known by its Japanese title, Valkyria: Azure Revolution), the spiritual sequel to Valkyria Chronicles, has been confirmed for a Western release in the second quarter of 2017.

In addition to bringing the title to new territories, the North American and European releases of the game will make the series available on a Microsoft console for the first time, with a localised Xbox One port in the works alongside the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita versions.

Valkyria Revolution marks a shift for the series, eschewing the turn-based strategy of the original trilogy in favour of a new real-time battle system that still promises a considerable degree of tactical depth, with the ability to switch between characters, orchestrate combo attacks, and impact the emotional state of enemy characters. Further increasing the strategic freedom of players will be the ability to customise weaponry, and challenging players will be the presence of one of the Valkyria, a being of immense power, at the head of the opposing forces.

Furthermore, the previous games’ setting of Gallia and the Second Europan War has also been abandoned, replaced by a new part of the world, a new war, and new characters. The conflict this time is the Liberation War, as the Kingdom of Jutland fights back against the invading forces of the Rus Empire, inspired by the efforts of the Circle of Five, a group of friends who use their political and military influence to motivate their nation. One of these five is the protagonist, Amleth, though few further details are forthcoming.

Although many of the elements of the original games have been jettisoned, the frame-story style of narration will return, with the tale of the Liberation War being recounted by a historian one hundred years after the events have taken place. This method of storytelling will allow side-stories to emerge and side-missions to appear as new characters are introduced with the passage of time.

Valkyria Revolution will launch in Japan on January 19, 2017, with its Western release coming later in the year.