In release order, the Sword Art Online games with official store listings today run from Sword Art Online: Lost Song (PS4, 2015) to Echoes of Aincrad, which launched in July 2026.
This list gives each game's release date and platforms, the story order by virtual world, the editions worth buying, and where each SAO game can be played today.
Every SAO in order of release date
Dates are the earliest release confirmed by Bandai Namco, PlayStation, Nintendo or Steam listings for North America. Older handheld and Japan-only releases are not dated here because their official store pages are no longer online.
PC dates are the Steam US dates; Steam unlocks by time zone, so some regions list the following day.
| Order | Game | Release date | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sword Art Online: Lost Song | November 17, 2015 on PS4 and PS Vita; November 12, 2018 on Steam | PS4, PS Vita, PC |
| 2 | Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization | November 8, 2016 on PS4 and PS Vita; Deluxe Edition October 27, 2017 on Steam and May 24, 2019 on Switch | PS4, PS Vita, PC, Nintendo Switch |
| 3 | Accel World vs. Sword Art Online: Millennium Twilight | Deluxe Edition September 12, 2017 on Steam | PC |
| 4 | Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet | February 23, 2018; Complete Edition August 9, 2019 on Switch | PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch |
| 5 | Sword Art Online Re: Hollow Fragment | August 20, 2018 on Steam | PC |
| 6 | Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris | July 10, 2020 on PS4; September 30, 2022 on Switch | PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch |
| 7 | Sword Art Online: Integral Factor | Smartphone game first; August 21, 2023 on Steam | Mobile, PC |
| 8 | Sword Art Online Last Recollection | October 5, 2023 on Steam | PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC |
| 9 | Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream | October 4, 2024 on Switch; October 3, 2024 on Steam | PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC |
| 10 | Echoes of Aincrad | July 9, 2026 on Steam | PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC |
Bandai Namco publishes every game on this list. Accel World vs. Sword Art Online is a crossover with the Accel World series by the same author, Reki Kawahara.
The Sword Art Online game series
Most SAO games tell an original story inside one of the series' virtual worlds rather than retelling the anime. Several studios have made them, and the gameplay style changes with the world.
| Game | Developer | Virtual world | What you play |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lost Song | Artdink | ALfheim Online (Svart Alfheim) | Kirito and friends, with flying and ground battles; 18 playable characters plus a custom avatar |
| Hollow Realization | AQURIA | Sword Art: Origin, a new VRMMORPG set in 2026 | Kirito in an MMO-style world with 16-character teams and raid bosses |
| Accel World vs. Sword Art Online | Artdink | Svart Alfheim merged with the Accelerated World | Kirito, facing the Seven Kings of pure color to find Yui |
| Fatal Bullet | Dimps | Gun Gale Online | Your own avatar in a third-person shooter RPG, with the support AI ArFA-sys |
| Re: Hollow Fragment | AQURIA | Aincrad, from the 76th floor, and the Hollow Area | Kirito, pushing from the town of Ark Sophia toward the 100th floor |
| Alicization Lycoris | AQURIA | Underworld (Alicization arc) | Kirito and Eugeo, following the anime's story with original character Medina |
| Integral Factor | Asobimo | Aincrad | You, as a member of an Assault Team, with partner Koharu |
| Last Recollection | AQURIA | Underworld (War of Underworld arc) | Kirito and over 40 playable characters against the Dark Territory |
| Fractured Daydream | Dimps | ALfheim Online, where the Galaxia system pulls in characters from every era | 21 characters in story mode, plus 20-player online raids |
| Echoes of Aincrad | Game Studio Inc. | Aincrad, the floating castle | Your own hero and a partner in a real-time action JRPG |
Bandai Namco describes Alicization Lycoris as the first SAO game to put the anime's storyline into game form; the earlier games run original stories alongside it.
Every Sword Art Online game in chronological order
The games do not share one timeline, so the cleanest story order follows the anime's worlds: Aincrad, then ALfheim Online, then Gun Gale Online, then Underworld. Games in the same world are listed by release date.
| Story order | World | Games | Where it sits in the story |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aincrad | Echoes of Aincrad; Integral Factor | The death game in the floating castle, seen through your own original character |
| 2 | Aincrad | Re: Hollow Fragment | An alternate path that continues from the 76th floor toward the 100th |
| 3 | ALfheim Online | Lost Song | Kirito's group racing to clear the new Svart Alfheim area |
| 4 | ALfheim Online and the Accelerated World | Accel World vs. Sword Art Online | Svart Alfheim merges with the Accel World setting |
| 5 | Gun Gale Online | Fatal Bullet | An original story in GGO with Alice and Eugeo among the online roster |
| 6 | Sword Art: Origin | Hollow Realization | A new VRMMORPG in 2026, years after Kirito escaped Aincrad |
| 7 | Underworld | Alicization Lycoris | The Alicization arc with Kirito and Eugeo |
| 8 | Underworld | Last Recollection | The War of Underworld arc, with an original what-if ending |
| 9 | Every world | Fractured Daydream | A crossover where characters from across time and space collide |
Hollow Realization sits on its own line because its game world, Sword Art: Origin, is separate from the four anime worlds.
Should you play Sword Art Online games in order?
No. Each game has a self-contained story, and the Lycoris producer described its anime-based plot as easy to follow for players who skipped the earlier games.
| If you want | Start with | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The anime story in game form | Alicization Lycoris | It follows the Alicization arc of the anime |
| The newest SAO game | Echoes of Aincrad | Released July 2026 with a custom hero in Aincrad |
| Shooting instead of swords | Fatal Bullet | A third-person shooter RPG set in Gun Gale Online |
| Flying combat | Lost Song | Battles take place in the air as well as on the ground |
| Big online co-op | Fractured Daydream | Boss raids and co-op quests for up to 20 players |
| The largest character roster | Last Recollection | Over 40 playable characters |
| An MMO feel | Hollow Realization | MMORPG-style interface, 16-character teams and raid bosses |
Where to play Sword Art Online games on PC, PS5, Xbox and Switch
Every game on this list except Integral Factor's mobile original is on Steam, so a PC with the Steam app for Windows is the one platform that has the whole set.
| Platform | SAO games available |
|---|---|
| PC (Steam) | Lost Song, Hollow Realization Deluxe Edition, Accel World vs. Sword Art Online Deluxe Edition, Fatal Bullet, Re: Hollow Fragment, Alicization Lycoris, Integral Factor, Last Recollection, Fractured Daydream, Echoes of Aincrad |
| PS5 | Last Recollection, Fractured Daydream, Echoes of Aincrad |
| PS4 | Lost Song, Hollow Realization, Fatal Bullet, Alicization Lycoris, Last Recollection (confirmed on official pages) |
| Xbox Series X|S | Last Recollection, Fractured Daydream, Echoes of Aincrad |
| Xbox One | Fatal Bullet, Alicization Lycoris, Last Recollection |
| Nintendo Switch | Hollow Realization Deluxe Edition, Fatal Bullet Complete Edition, Alicization Lycoris, Fractured Daydream |
Before buying on PC, check the Steam minimum specs: Echoes of Aincrad requires Windows 11, a 64-bit CPU, 8 GB of RAM, an RTX 2060-class GPU and an SSD. You can check how much RAM is installed in a minute from Settings.
Sword Art Online game editions: Deluxe, Complete and Premium
Several SAO games are sold as bundles that include their DLC. These are usually the better buy for a game that is no longer getting new content.
| Edition | What it adds |
|---|---|
| Hollow Realization Deluxe Edition | The game plus the season pass and its bonuses, including 3 special costumes |
| Accel World vs. Sword Art Online Deluxe Edition | The game plus the Castaway From Another World DLC |
| Fatal Bullet Complete Edition | The game, three DLC packs, the Dissonance of the Nexus expansion and bonus in-game items |
| Alicization Lycoris Digital Deluxe Edition | The game, the Premium Pass with 2 major expansions and a special costume, and 200 SAO coins |
| Fractured Daydream Premium and Deluxe Editions | The game bundled with DLC, listed from October 1, 2024 on the Nintendo eShop |
| Echoes of Aincrad Deluxe Edition | The game, an expansion DLC, a starter pack and an early unlock for Death Game Mode |
| Echoes of Aincrad Ultimate Edition | Everything in the Deluxe Edition plus a contents app and an armor pack |
Echoes of Aincrad release date and platforms
Echoes of Aincrad is the newest Sword Art Online game. It returns to Aincrad, the floating castle from the first anime arc, with a hero you create yourself.
| Detail | Echoes of Aincrad |
|---|---|
| Release date | July 9, 2026 on Steam (US) |
| Platforms | PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC (Steam) |
| Developer | Game Studio Inc. |
| Publisher | Bandai Namco Entertainment |
| Launch price on PS5 | $69.99 for the Standard Edition |
| Demo | Free demo version on PlayStation Store |
| Combat | Real-time action with a partner character you level up alongside your hero |
Steam lists Windows 11 as the minimum OS, and the game's Performance mode targets 1080p at 60 fps.
Which SAO games are on Nintendo Switch?
Four Sword Art Online games are sold on the Nintendo eShop. Search the eShop for Sword Art Online and match the titles below.
- Open the Nintendo eShop on your Switch, or nintendo.com in a browser.
- Search for Sword Art Online.
- Look for SWORD ART ONLINE: Hollow Realization Deluxe Edition, released May 24, 2019.
- Look for SWORD ART ONLINE: FATAL BULLET Complete Edition, released August 9, 2019.
- Look for SWORD ART ONLINE Alicization Lycoris, released September 30, 2022.
- Look for SWORD ART ONLINE Fractured Daydream, released October 4, 2024.
Lost Song, Last Recollection and Echoes of Aincrad are not in that list, so play them on PlayStation, Xbox or PC.
Is there a new Sword Art Online game coming?
Echoes of Aincrad, released in July 2026, is the latest Sword Art Online game, and Bandai Namco's games catalog lists it as the newest entry in the series.
Treat Echoes of Aincrad as the current SAO game, and check Bandai Namco's official games page for the next announcement. No later SAO game appears on Bandai Namco's catalog or on Steam, so any other date you see is not official.
Sword Art Online games FAQ
What is the newest Sword Art Online game?
Echoes of Aincrad is the newest SAO game. It launched on July 9, 2026 on Steam and is also on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. You create your own hero and fight through Aincrad with a partner.
Which SAO game follows the anime story?
Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris follows the anime's Alicization arc with Kirito and Eugeo. Bandai Namco calls it the first time the anime storyline was told in game form. Last Recollection continues into the War of Underworld arc.
Do you need to play the SAO games in order?
No. Each SAO game has its own story, and the Lycoris producer said its plot is easy to follow for players who skipped the earlier games. Start with the world or play style that interests you most.
Can you create your own character in Sword Art Online games?
Yes, in several. Fatal Bullet and Echoes of Aincrad make your own avatar the hero, Integral Factor casts you as a member of an Assault Team, and Lost Song and Last Recollection also offer a custom avatar.
Which Sword Art Online games have multiplayer?
Fractured Daydream supports up to 20 players in raids and co-op quests. Lost Song offers co-op with up to 3 friends and 4 vs 4 PvP, Hollow Realization has a 4-player mode, and Accel World vs. Sword Art Online supports up to 4 players online.
Is Sword Art Online Fatal Bullet worth getting as the Complete Edition?
The Complete Edition includes the main game, three DLC packs, the Dissonance of the Nexus expansion and bonus items. It is the edition sold on Nintendo Switch.
Is Sword Art Online Lost Song on PS4?
Yes. Sword Art Online: Lost Song came out on PS4 and PS Vita in North America on November 17, 2015, and on Steam in November 2018. It is set in ALfheim Online and features flying combat.
What SAO game is set in Gun Gale Online?
Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet is set in Gun Gale Online. It is a third-person shooter RPG released on February 23, 2018 for PS4, Xbox One and PC, with a Switch Complete Edition in 2019.
If you enjoy anime-style action RPGs, the NieR games in release order make a good next series.
