Azur Lane: Crosswave for Nintendo Switch Reveals Release Window for North America & Europe

Today Idea Factory International narrowed the release window of Azur Lane: Crosswave’s Nintendo Switch version for North America and Europe.

The game will release in the west on Nintendo’s hybrid console in February 2021. The precise date has not been revealed just yet.

The Switch release will include out of the box two of the six DLC packages releasing for PS4, specifically the ones dedicated to Taihou and Formidable.

On top of that, the photo mode has been updated so that you can take pictures of six girls at the same time instead of four.

If you’re unfamiliar with the game, you can check out an official description below.

“About Azur Lane: Crosswave
In this high-octane 3D Action Shooter, historical battle ships come to 3D life with the help of the Unreal Engine! Control a fleet of cute, but devastating characters and bring any enemy to their knees! Newcomers and returning fans of Azur Lane can play in 4 game modes, including the 100+ battles of Extreme Battle Mode!

Will you be able to sail your fleet to victory, or will you sink into the ocean?

Key Features
Living in a 3D World – Azur Lane mobile, the beloved side-scrolling shooter, is now retrofitted for the Nintendo Switch™ as a cel-shaded, 3D action shooter with the help of Unreal Engine! Recruit over 50+ ship girls to help lead your fleet to victory. In the Nintendo Switch version, play through Story Mode through the lens of newcomers Shimakaze and Suruga, plus Taihou and Formidable!

Switch it Up with 4 Game Modes – Commanders can choose from 4 different game modes! Story Mode includes 7 chapters through the lenses of Shimakaze and Suruga, plus 2 additional story chapters with newcomers, Taihou and Formidable. In Extreme Battle Mode, choose from 100+ challenging fleets to battle for rare items and special materials. Capture new memories in Photo Mode! Just like the original release, players can change backgrounds, adjust facial expressions and poses! Now on the Nintendo Switch, choose up to 6 characters with freshly updated camera angles. Episode Mode includes 50+ sub-stories that deliver bonus character backgrounds!

Arm Your Armada – Before setting sail, beef up your characters by equipping them with rare items found after a successful battle or by crafting items at Akashi’s Laboratory. Here, Commanders can exchange blueprints to create new gear, convert materials into rare items, and earn rewards. Experiment with different fleet arrangements to gain special Fleet Effects that can provide in-game stat bonuses.

Ready, Aim, Fire – Control, aim, and fire at incoming battleships, aircraft carriers, and other enemies! Depending on the character’s subtype, players can dash to evade attacks or activate defensive shields, unleash torpedoes or aircrafts, and switch-on character-specific special attacks to defeat unruly enemies!”

If you want to learn more about Azur Lane: Crosswave (which is already available for PC and PS4), you should definitely read the interview we published a while ago and our review. You can also watch the trailer of the Nintendo Switch version.

The game shipped over 200,000 copies worldwide as of the Japanese release day of the Switch version.

If you’re unfamiliar with the Azur Lane franchise, it’s originally a free-to-play mobile horizontal scrolling shooter/RPG hybrid currently available for iOS and Android.

Recently, the game celebrated its third anniversary in Japan and you can check out the music video featuring popular musician T.M.Revolution and an anime-style trailer.

If you’re curious about the franchise’s popularity in Japan, you can check out my report about the anniversary event from last year that pretty much literally invaded Akihabara.