Falcom's new Dragon Slayer project just got its first concept art

Nihon Falcom has revealed the first concept art for its upcoming "Dragon Slayer Project," a new console game to celebrate the studio's 45th anniversary. The artwork debuted during a KADOKAWA Game Linkage fan event in Japan on May 2, alongside new footage of the Trails in the Sky the 2nd remake and the upcoming action RPG Kyoto Xanadu.

According to Famitsu, the concept art shows a massive tower piercing the clouds and a family living on the back of a giant dragon. Falcom developers stated the game is being built around three core themes: home, family, and dragons. The title is currently in active development for home consoles.

Living on a dragon's back

I always find it fascinating how one weird PC-8801 game spawned half of Falcom's modern catalog. The original Dragon Slayer launched in 1984 as an action RPG where you attacked enemies by physically bumping into them. It had a unique loop where players had to carry experience points and items back to their house to actually level up. It also included puzzle elements where players had to use specific items or magic to bypass environmental obstacles.

That single game eventually splintered into massive franchises like Xanadu, Sorcerian, and The Legend of Heroes. The sixth game in the series, Dragon Slayer: The Legend of Heroes, dropped the action elements for command-based combat and a heavy focus on worldbuilding. That specific pivot eventually led to Trails in the Sky and the sprawling, interconnected Trails universe we have today. Bringing the "Dragon Slayer" name back for a 45th-anniversary project feels like a deliberate nod to those roots.

Full 3D for SC

The fan event also gave attendees a look at the opening movie for The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 2nd. This is the second part of Falcom's 20th-anniversary project to remake the original Trails games in full 3D. The event organizers mixed the new 3D cuts with the original opening movie from SC. The first part of this remake project completely overhauled the 2004 original with seamless map transitions and updated combat mechanics.

Falcom also demonstrated a new viewer mode that lets players pose and photograph character models. They used this feature to show off planned cheerleader DLC outfits for Estelle, Joshua, Agate, and Anelace. I am honestly just relieved they are keeping the original game's massive scope intact for the remake. The original SC launched in 2006 and spans two massive discs of content. Seeing it fully realized in modern 3D is a massive undertaking for a studio of Falcom's size.

Kyoto Xanadu launches in July

Finally, the studio showed live gameplay of Kyoto Xanadu -Sakura Genbu-, which is scheduled to release on July 16, 2026. The gameplay demonstration showed an early scene where the new protagonist Rei meets a mysterious girl named Rurui.

The previous game in this specific spin-off line, Tokyo Xanadu, came out way back in 2015 for the PlayStation Vita before making its way to modern platforms. It blended the action combat of the Ys series with the social simulation elements of modern Persona games. Moving the setting to Kyoto for the sequel gives Falcom a chance to refresh the formula after an eleven-year gap. Fans have been waiting over a decade for a proper follow-up to the Vita original.