Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave

Developer: Intelligent Systems
Publisher: Nintendo
Platforms: Switch 2
Release Date: 17th September, 2026
Price: $69.99 – Available Here

Overview

Fire Emblem is without a doubt Nintendo’s most respected property, and if the Switch was any indication, the franchise shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave is the latest release, launching for the Switch 2 while offering a fresh story and set of characters. Does this title live up to all of the varied releases of the past decade, or is it one to skip this time around? Let’s find out.

Story

Fortune’s Weave is not a direct sequel to Three Houses, but it does share the same universe and a few characters from the lauded title. The major difference here is the way the plot pivots into something truly unique for the franchise. Players start by controlling an avatar by the name of Eshmel, a deity revived to save the world. In order to perform this task, Eshmel has to travel back in time to re-route history for four fallen Flame Lords, attempting to save each from their fate and put them on a path to an alliance. The player now gets to choose one at a time, revisit fate through each story as they attempt to weave together a new destiny for the world.

Yeah, its pretty jarring to see this type of plot unfold so quickly into the experience, but this is a very special title for how it handles that task. Each narrative is fully fleshed out and your job is to keep this hero alive as they make their way to the Heroic Games, where they have an opportunity of gaining a wish to finally achieve their ultimate goal. The main objective is to successfully pull as many as these plotlines together successfully through choice and skill in order to defeat the demon god Balor once and for all. Yeah, its a lot, but the finesse Fortune’s Weave handles this in is like nothing Fire Emblem has done before. The plots are engrossing, and being able to jump back and forth between them allows players to go at their pace, offering a new take on a more meaningful “choose your own adventure” type tale.

Gameplay

Despite its many central characters, Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave mostly takes place within Dagison throughout all the experiences. This world is a hub for the entire plot, and is where our heroes approach the Heroic Games. During the game, you and your current squad meet at inns, where you can shop, court new allies, and strategise with new items and statistics in true Fire Emblem fare. There are side quests to go on, but things still follow that same rich strategy-RPG experience that really follows the core of what we know. To flip things, players can also explore the world a bit, interacting with the world around them as they break out of the main area and head into dungeons to farm experience and tools to assist them on their questlines.

The entire game is split into three arcs. The first has more of a focus on getting to know each Flame Lord and assisting with their specific stories and quests. There are plenty of side characters to get to know and have grow with you, and that in itself is a fun time. The next is the second arc, which in my opinion focuses more on preparation, with a focus on a new protagonist as your squad acts as support. Finally, there is the last arc, which takes the adventure home with a massive alignment of all of the heroes as they prepare for that giant ending battle. If you ever played Dragon Quest XI, there are definitely some similarities here with how this is structured in terms of the acts within. It’s all well thought out and paced, providing the player with so many ever-changing elements that they are sure to never feel a slog, despite the usual RPG grind of it all.

The core battles are absolutely Fire Emblem. You will battle on a high number of grids in this title, and I do mean a ton. Players can utilise the environment for advantages, align with allies for boosts and buffs, and take out enemies while managing their current party over the field. Objectives sometimes play a specific role in each battle, and once that is clear or enemies are defeated, the battle is decided. Yeah, it is all familiar, and still as high stakes as ever. To give players a bit of a reprieve, they can perform a “blessing” that allows them to rewind a turn in order to provide small buffs that may result in a different outcome. For a game like this, the need for this mechanic will mostly come as the game slowly ramps up its difficulty.

Clashes act as a completely different style of battle. Instead of a grid, these action sequences feel more like turn-based fare and offer a fresh perspective while still maintaining the grind to boost character levels and stats. Every character shares a life bar in these segments and head in with a full team. Sure, it isn’t exactly groundbreaking mechanics on its own, but it is a nice change of pace compared to the usual Fire Emblem grid battles you will be doing plenty of. Add in the general new battle mechanics such as Blaze Arts (which have the player sacrifice HP for power) and the varied difficulties of it all, and you have the most complex and connected Fire Emblem to date. It truly feels massive because it is, and Weave never buckles under its own massive weight.

Audio

There is so much to say here. First, the voice acting is fantastic. Sure, not all of the cast are going to be loved by all, but that does not mean their performances feel any less important. This is a massive plot, and one that is carried by these roles, where each character remains memorable and endearing. The soundtrack is also a stunner. Track after track of beautiful hymns or intense battle music coat this title and do it with style. This sounds like a unique take for something we all should expect with Fire Emblem, as most titles all have great music, but it feels more varied and expansive this time around. The standard effects, menu dings, and everything else tie it all together for an amazing audible effort from this team, who put a lot of love into building a superb presentation for Fortune’s Weave.

Visuals

This really comes down to preference. The art style here is a more colourful and crisp Three Houses. The detail on every character model is perfectly done, capturing a Mediterranean aesthetic. The game animations perform perfectly on the Switch 2, able to run at the full 60 frames per second without any issue, allowing animations to run silky smooth for gameplay and cutscenes alike. It’s a beautiful game that is easy to appreciate, and one that most fans will have no trouble enjoying for years to come.

Overall

I feel like Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave almost came out of nowhere. Sure, it was announced long ago, but we didn’t expect it to be anything more than a normal Fire Emblem experience. Instead, this title will easily go down as not just one of the best from the franchise, but also the most daring strategy-RPG to hit the market as a whole. The stories are just as beautifully done as the art within, and there is so much to do and see that players should have no trouble putting in over a hundred hours into this massive beast of a title. Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave is not just one of the best RPGs on the system; it is easily one of Nintendo’s finest productions to date.

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