Fantasy RPG Fans Can Now Check Out Upcoming 2026 Release Early (& For Free)

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As 2025 winds down, gamers are starting to look forward to the new games coming in the new year. While January is usually a quieter month for releases, there are still a few exciting titles on the way. One of the most anticipated is a brand-new entry in the popular Trails series, called Trails Beyond the Horizon. It’s scheduled to launch in the U.S. on January 15th, 2026, and PlayStation 4 and 5 owners can even get a sneak peek now.

The popular Trails series turned 20 in 2024, and the developers, Nihon Falcom, are still going strong. They released a remastered version of Trails in the Sky: 1st Chapter in 2025, giving new and old fans a fresh start to the series. More remasters are planned, alongside completely new games that continue the ongoing story. The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon came out in Japan in 2024, and will be available in English this January. A demo is now available, letting fans play it even sooner.

Trails Beyond the Horizon Gameplay & Story Demo Lets Players Try Before They Buy

Game demos are often uneven in quality – some players enjoy them, while others prefer experiencing new games without any prior knowledge. A common issue is that progress made in demos doesn’t usually transfer to the full game, forcing players to replay the beginning. Fortunately, the recent demo for the upcoming JRPG, Trails Beyond the Horizon, is different – players will be able to continue where they left off when they purchase the full game.

Nihon Falcom and NIS America announced that free demos for Trails Beyond the Horizon are now available on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch. These demos give players a taste of the game’s story and combat.

So, they’ve released two demos! One is a pure combat demo – it throws you right into the action, skipping the super-early beginner stuff. The other is a story demo that lets you play through the beginning of the game. The cool part is, if you play the story demo, your progress actually carries over when the full game comes out, so you won’t have to rewatch all those opening cutscenes. Pretty neat!

The demo will probably be available until the game launches on January 15th. Based on how similar demos – like the one for Digimon Story: Time Stranger – have been handled, it might even stay up after the game is released. If you’re eager to try the newest Trails game, it’s best to download the demo as soon as you can. It will be available on Steam, the PlayStation Store, and the Nintendo eShop starting December 19th, 2025.

Trails Beyond the Horizon will be available on January 15th for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2.

Looking forward to the next Trails game coming out in early 2026? Share your thoughts and join the discussion in the ComicBook Forum!

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2025-12-21 00:10