Star Ocean Switch 2 announcement has fans up in arms
Square Enix announced a Nintendo Switch 2 port of Star Ocean The Second Story R, the 2023 RPG, continuing the publisher’s controversial approach to re-releasing games on Nintendo’s new hardware. The Switch 2 edition will cost $49.99 with no upgrade path for existing Switch owners and incompatible save files, preventing players from transferring progress between versions.
This decision mirrors Square Enix’s earlier announcement regarding Octopath Traveler ports to Switch 2, which similarly offered no free or paid upgrade options despite the original games already being available on the original Nintendo Switch. The pattern has drawn criticism from players who argue that re-purchasing the same game at full price without any migration support represents poor consumer value.
The announcement was made through social media channels including the Star Ocean X account and Square Enix’s official channels, with no accompanying statement addressing fan concerns about the upgrade policy. The decision stands in contrast to some industry precedents where publishers have offered upgrade paths or pricing incentives for players transitioning from older hardware generations.