Doesn’t it seem like Bandai Namco sort of let the cat out of the bag without a mea culpa? Rather than a press release or an announcement, an actual YouTube video popped up with no ado and was gone just as fast. The reason people think it’s for Tales of Xillia is simple. The thumbnail had the artwork from Tales of Xillia, and on upload, there were August 18 tags. But by now, it feels like the surprise is already gone.
Tales of Xillia is one of those JRPGs over which opinions vary. Many enjoyed playing it; many didn’t. Japan got it in 2011, then the rest of the game world in 2013. Players got to choose between two lead characters: Jude Mathis or Milla Maxwell. The game used an improved Linear Motion Battle System and a skill-tree style growth system. I personally tried it once on my PS3 back in the day. I loved the battling speed, but will admit that the character designs didn’t connect for me right from the start.
And that’s how remasters work; they give games a second chance. You get to fix things that can’t be improved; you get to sprinkle quality-of-life goodness, and everything feels new again. Bandai Namco has done well with this, especially after the sad drama surrounding the Tales of Symphonia remake when it promised to more carefully deal with subsequent remasters.
Such a promise remained verified in January 2025, with the launch of Tales of Graces f Remastered. The original had its share of messy parts, but the remaster was a success across all platforms. If that Tales of Xillia is next, this time they won’t have it so easy: The old PS3 “Cell” hardware has generally been regarded as a hard one to port off. Then again, perhaps they could pull it through using the same toolset and methods as for Grace’s f and Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition.
The leaked store listings from some Czech and Slovak sites already suggest Tales of Xillia Remastered is brewing for the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Switch. A PC version seems rather likely, as well. Some leaks have even mentioned a possible bundle with Tales of Xillia 2-along the same lines of the Symphonia Chronicles release. If this turns out to be true, it would definitely be a smart move, seeing as both titles are still stuck on PS3.
Something that fans also saw was that both Xillia and Xillia 2 were quietly delisted from PSN. This sort of thing usually means a re-release is pending. Changes in battle balance, improved graphics, and more translation options? It is really nice to daydream about it.
August 18 is almost upon us, so it shouldn’t be long before we find out. If this “accidental” leak turns out to be accurate, it would mean more than just another remaster announcement; it might give one of the most debated games in the series another chance at being a modern-day contender in the circle of JRPGs. You may also be interested in: Contraband Game Could Have Reached PS5 But Microsoft Stopped Funding
