The producer of the upcoming Sword Art Online game has revealed why the development team decided to focus on the early part of Aincrad rather than attempting to recreate the entire 100-floor structure from the original story.
In an interview, Yosuke Futami, producer of Sword Art Online: Echoes of Aincrad, explained the creative direction behind the new project. According to him, the game will still follow the core narrative established in Sword Art Online and its anime adaptation, but it will also explore events that were only briefly mentioned—or never shown—in the original story.
Showing the Untold Side of the Aincrad Story
One of the main goals of the game is to highlight what happens behind the scenes during the Aincrad arc. In the original series, the story largely follows the perspective of Kirito and a few key characters. However, Futami emphasized that many other players in the virtual world have their own journeys happening simultaneously.
Through gameplay, players will be able to experience these parallel activities, including forming parties, interacting with other characters, and witnessing events that occur outside the main storyline.
Focus on the First Two Floors of Aincrad
At launch, the game will primarily cover Floor 1 and Floor 2 of Aincrad, the massive floating castle that serves as the main setting of the arc. Even these early floors are designed to offer large exploration areas, allowing players to travel through different zones, search for allies, and build cooperation with other characters in order to survive the deadly game world.
Futami noted that Floor 1 alone is already large enough to function as a full exploration map, showing how detailed the developers intend to make each section of the world.
Why All 100 Floors Isn’t Realistic
Although Aincrad famously consists of 100 floors, Futami admitted that recreating every level in full detail would be an enormous task. In fact, he estimated that developing all 100 floors at the same level of quality could take up to 20 years.
Because of this, the team decided to concentrate on the beginning of the Aincrad journey, allowing players to experience the tension and excitement of the early survival stages of the game world.
By focusing on depth rather than sheer scale, the developers hope to deliver a richer experience that captures the atmosphere and storytelling that made Sword Art Online one of the most popular virtual reality adventure series in anime and gaming.
