Launch Timeline
Overview Beast of Reincarnation launches worldwide on August 4, 2026 across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. This page tracks the full pre-launch chronology, from the studio's original 2023 announcement under the working title Project Bloom through the marketing wave that confirmed the final
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Overview
Beast of Reincarnation launches worldwide on August 4, 2026 across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. This page tracks the full pre-launch chronology, from the studio's original 2023 announcement under the working title Project Bloom through the marketing wave that confirmed the final August 4 date and the pre-order opening. See Release Date and Platforms for the platform breakdown and Editions and Pre-Order Bonuses for the edition tiers and pricing.
Pre-Release Chronology
Date | Milestone | Details |
|---|---|---|
May 9, 2023 | Project Bloom Announced | Game Freak revealed a new original action RPG under the working title Project Bloom. Initial announcement included a single piece of concept art showing a lone woman in a forest. The title was published in partnership with Private Division, Take-Two's indie publishing label. |
2024 | Publisher Rebrand | Private Division was divested by Take-Two Interactive to Haveli Investments and rebranded as Fictions. Beast of Reincarnation transferred to the new label without changing developer or scope. |
June 2025 | Final Title Revealed | Xbox Games Show publicly revealed the project's final title, Beast of Reincarnation, alongside the first gameplay trailer. The trailer introduced protagonist Emma and her dog companion Koo, the hybrid action plus command-based combat system, and the post-apocalyptic Japan setting. |
January 22, 2026 | Xbox Developer Direct | The first comprehensive breakdown of story, combat, world design, and character dynamics. Confirmed a Summer 2026 release window and day-one inclusion on Xbox Game Pass across Console, PC, and Cloud tiers, plus Xbox Play Anywhere and Xbox Cloud Gaming. |
February 12, 2026 | PlayStation State of Play | Narrowed the release window to a specific August 4, 2026 date. New extended gameplay trailer showed deeper combat footage and environmental exploration. ESRB Teen (T) rating for Violence and Blood was confirmed in the same window. |
April 20, 2026 | Pre-Orders Open | Standard ($59.99) and Deluxe ($69.99) digital editions, plus physical PS5 and Xbox Series X|S Standard and PS5-exclusive physical Deluxe, went on sale across Steam, PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store, and major retailers. Pre-order bonuses (Brown Shiba Skin for Koo, 30,000 Amber) confirmed. |
August 4, 2026 | Worldwide Launch | Simultaneous release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Steam plus Microsoft Store). Day-one Game Pass parity on Xbox and PC. |
Preload And Unlock Schedule
Region-specific preload start times and unlock times have not been formally published by the developer or publisher as of the current pre-release window. The following pattern is the typical schedule for a worldwide-simultaneous PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S launch, and is offered as orientation rather than as confirmed schedule for this title.
Storefront | Typical Preload Window | Typical Unlock Behavior |
|---|---|---|
Steam (PC) | 48-72 hours before launch | Worldwide simultaneous unlock at a single UTC midnight or the publisher's chosen flat-rate unlock time |
Microsoft Store / Xbox / PC Game Pass | 48 hours before launch | Region-specific midnight local unlock or worldwide simultaneous unlock per publisher preference |
PlayStation Store | 48 hours before launch | Region-specific midnight local unlock for digital pre-orders |
Physical (PS5 and Xbox) | In-store on launch day | Subject to retailer policy; some retailers ship in advance with embargoed sale dates |
Bookmark this page for the official preload announcement; the table above is replaced with confirmed regional unlock times once Game Freak and Fictions publish them.
Day-One Coverage At Launch
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, and Console Game Pass: day one inclusion. See Xbox Game Pass for the subscription stack.
Xbox Play Anywhere: one Microsoft Store purchase covers Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC, with cross-progression for saves.
Xbox Cloud Gaming: streaming to phones, tablets, low-spec PCs, and supported smart TVs via Game Pass Ultimate at launch.
Handheld Optimized: control layout and performance targets tuned for Xbox-compatible handheld devices.
Physical PS5 Standard editions: include a serial code that unlocks the Digital Deluxe bonus stack (100,000 Amber, both Shiba skins for Koo, Oni's Hat for Emma, and the Big Dipper sword). See Editions and Pre-Order Bonuses for full edition contents.
Post-Launch Outlook
No post-launch DLC, expansion, or season pass has been announced. The full Beast of Reincarnation campaign and combat system ship in the base game across all editions. See Pre-Order FAQ for the day-one DLC and post-launch content status.
Historic Significance
Beast of Reincarnation is Game Freak's first AAA-scale original IP and their first simultaneous multiplatform launch across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. The project began under director Kota Furushima in 2020, and the marketing wave from its 2023 reveal through its 2026 launch covered an unusually long pre-release runway for an original IP at this scale. The Gear Project initiative, which has produced smaller original titles from the studio for over a decade, advanced from modest-scope projects to a full AAA pipeline with this title.