*All translations in this blog are tentative and may be subject to change upon official release.

Those of you who had the chance to play the TGS trial version, how did you like the new Inazuma Eleven? In this blog, we will showcase the new information that was announced during "Inazuma Walker On Tour at TGS."

We previously mentioned our goal of making "a game you can play for five years," and we would like to explain our rationale for saying this: the introduction of the "infinite playability" system.

One thing to note is that the progression of the story mode is very similar to previous Inazuma Eleven games. What we're going to explain now applies to gameplay that starts after you have finished the story - which is when the REAL "Victory Road" begins.

Infinity Challenge I:
Over 4,500 Players - Collect Them All!

While in previous games you could usually only hold around 200 players, in this game, you can basically keep every single player you've collected. It could be heartbreaking to part ways with one of your players just because you had exceeded the limit. But this time, there will be no more messages saying, "someone left the team."
So collect as many as you want!

Infinity Challenge II:
It's Not Over Once You Get the Character

The game is going to include loot-based elements. In other genres, you often delve into dungeons repeatedly in search of rare items, creating a gameplay loop with high replayability. In "Victory Road," this means that once you get a character, it's not the end of the journey.
Each player will come in six different rarities.

Furthermore, players each possess unique passive abilities. These passive effects can vary even among players of the same rarity, and the same passive skill may have different parameters. So if you found that "Mamoru Endo" you were looking for, you might still want to try and find an "even better Endo" or an "Endo that suits your tactics better."

Let's explain exactly how to collect players.
First, you can collect a kind of player cards called "Spirits" in Story Mode and Chronicle Mode. Using these cards, characters available for scouting will appear on the map. Check the map to locate them and go scout them. This way you get a new friend. There are also characters who will join you directly without needing to find them first.

This is how you increase the number of your friends! If you find Spirit cards for players who you already have, like Mamoru Endo in this example, you can use them to increase the player's "Awakening Gauge." If your Mamoru Endo is, for example, Advanced Player rank, you can use his spirit cards to upgrade him to Top Player rank. Characters also have levels which persist even when their rarity is upgraded, so make sure to keep training and playing matches!

Infinity Challenge III:
Team Building

In "Victory Road," characters don't just have to be strong. It's important to gather teammates that fit your team's personality. First of all, you can have three different teams: one for Story Mode, one for Chronicle Mode, and one for online tournaments. After clearing Story Mode, you can use your Story Mode team members in Chronicle and Tournament teams, as well.
When it comes to team building, you can strengthen your team by using so-called "Synergies" between the players' passive effects. By generating lots of synergy, you can increase your team's effectiveness manifold.

Pattern A increases overall synergy by making use of the same element. Pattern B is composed of different elements, but each player is positioned to generate synergy with the others. By considering everyone's influence, you can significantly boost your team's abilities. Of course, if you want to build around your favorite players, you may have to find the right versions with the best matching skills. It's quite intricate! Some famous players might have different versions with different passives, so collecting all variations can be a fun challenge, too.

Infinity Challenge IV:
It's Not Over Once You Win the Match

When you win a match in Story or Chronicle Mode, the story progresses and you receive rewards. After that, you can choose to increase the match's difficulty and challenge it repeatedly.

This will allow you to collect items and legendary players from random drops. By repeating matches, you can also earn "Hero Tokens," which can be collected and exchanged for rare move manuals, equipment and more.

Collect Hero Tokens and exchange them to equip you favorite players with the best gear as you keep training them!

Infinity Challenge V:
Online Tournaments

This time, we're introducing online multiplayer. What's more, there will be performance-based rankings, and top-ranking players will have the chance to participate in the Victory Road Online Tournaments to determine who's the No. 1.
Victory Road Online Tournaments will have their own rulesets, such as "Football Frontier" or "Saint's Way." These regulations will impose restrictions on the available players and special moves. Fighting Spirit, for example, may be prohibited in Football Frontier but allowed in Saints' Way. We plan to hold online tournaments every 3 months.
*The exact timings are still to be determined.

Infinity Challenge VI:
Seasonal Competitions

In the online tournaments, you must participate with a combination of at least six seasonal and at most five eternal players. Seasonal players are those you can acquire exclusively during a given season, while eternal players are primarily characters collected in single-player modes. Seasonal players aren't restricted to being used only within that specific season, but each new season, they advance by one grade. Once they reach the third year, they graduate and become eternal players. If you wish to continue using them, field them in the eternal slots.

The available seasonal players will change each season, meaning new players will be added every three months. At the same time, the previous set of players will become unavailable. As a result, you'll have to keep playing to keep unlocking new characters. It might be challenging, but it will be a lot of fun!

We intend to make the new Inazuma Eleven a game that grows alongside its players. We still need a bit more time to complete it, but we are committed to deliver a project that lives up to your expectations.
Thank you for your understanding and your continued support!