Editions
Edition | Contents |
|---|---|
Standard | The base game. |
Deluxe | Base game plus Expansion DLC. |
Ultimate | Base game, Expansion DLC, a Starter Pack, early unlock for Death Game Mode, the Unanswered//butterfly Bonus Contents App, and the Flutter armor pack (Flutter Boots and Flutter Robes). |
Aincrad Edition | A premium physical edition announced alongside the standard SKUs. |
USD Pricing at Launch
The four editions ship at the following launch prices in the United States, as published by the publisher's storefront and the Steam pre-purchase listing. Pricing in other regions is adjusted for local currencies.
Edition | USD Price | Format |
|---|---|---|
Standard | $69.99 | Digital base game. |
Deluxe | $89.99 | Digital base game plus the Deluxe-tier add-ons. |
Ultimate | $109.99 | Digital base game plus all Deluxe-tier add-ons and the Ultimate-tier extras. |
Aincrad Edition | $149.99 | Physical premium box that wraps an Ultimate-tier disc with the printed collector goods listed below. |
The Aincrad Edition is the physical-only premium SKU. Beyond the disc copy of the Ultimate Edition's contents it includes a beanie, a wall scroll, a sticker sheet, and a set of patches as the printed collector items.
Pre-Order Bonus
Pre-purchasing the standard edition grants the Proto-Elucidator Series Weapon Pack, a set of six weapons inspired by the prototype of Kirito's signature sword, one for each weapon type in the game. These are intended as early-game starter gear rather than endgame equipment.
Platforms
Editions are available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Steam). The Japanese console release is July 9, 2026; the worldwide Steam and console release is July 10, 2026.
Tier Summary at a Glance
This section summarizes how the three primary launch tiers differ from one another. See the overview article for broader release and platform context, and the Aincrad page for background on the floating castle the game is set in.
Edition | Includes |
|---|---|
Standard | The base game on its own. Ships with the full main story across floors one and two, all side content, every companion character, and every system available at launch. No bundled expansion, no early unlock for Death Game Mode, and no uncut version of the promotional movie. Standard buyers can still watch the movie during its limited time screenings or on select streaming platforms when it goes live there. |
Deluxe | Everything in the Standard tier, plus an expansion pack that grants access to an additional story DLC. The DLC is scheduled to release before the end of 2026 and is described as taking place after the events of the main story. Deluxe buyers also gain early access to Death Game Mode from the beginning of the game, instead of waiting until the main story has been cleared to unlock it on a fresh save slot. |
Ultimate | Everything in the Deluxe tier, plus the uncut version of the Unanswered//butterfly promotional movie with additional unreleased footage for players who want to keep their own copy of it. Ultimate buyers also receive the same early Death Game Mode access that Deluxe buyers get. |
What Each Tier Unlocks
Standard Edition
The Standard Edition is the base game. It contains the full thirty hour main story, the twenty or so hours of side content, postgame activities, all four companion characters, every weapon type, every difficulty mode, and the full launch build of the partner system and the smithy. Standard buyers do not get the post launch story DLC, do not get early access to Death Game Mode, and do not receive the uncut version of the Unanswered//butterfly film. For the film specifically, Standard buyers are still able to watch it: producers have said the movie will be screened in select venues for a limited time around launch, and it is planned to be distributed through specific streaming platforms. The names of those platforms have not been announced publicly.
Deluxe Edition
The Deluxe Edition adds a bundled expansion pack on top of the base game. That expansion pack grants access to a post launch story DLC. The DLC is planned to release before the end of 2026 and is said to take place after the events of the main story, rather than expanding the floors covered at launch. See the Expansion DLC article for what is currently known about the DLC itself. The second major Deluxe benefit is early access to Death Game Mode. By default, Death Game Mode is unlocked only after clearing the main story on a new save slot. Deluxe buyers have it available from the very first save slot they create, which means they can start a permadeath run on day one rather than needing to play through the main story at least once first.
Ultimate Edition
The Ultimate Edition is the highest tier at launch. It includes every Deluxe benefit, which means the post launch story DLC and early Death Game Mode access both carry over. On top of those, the Ultimate Edition bundles the uncut version of the Unanswered//butterfly promotional movie with additional unreleased footage that is not shown during the limited time screenings or in the streaming cut. This is intended for players who want to keep a long term copy of the movie locally rather than relying on the screenings or the streaming window.
Early Death Game Mode Access Explained
Death Game Mode is a layer of optional challenge that can be applied on top of any of the four difficulty settings. When it is active, dying in game causes the save slot to be deleted, which effectively turns a normal save into a hardcore permadeath run. On the Standard Edition, this layer is locked until the main story has been cleared once on a separate save; it then becomes available to apply to a new save slot. Deluxe and Ultimate buyers skip that gating: from the moment they start a new save, they can elect to toggle Death Game Mode on for that save. This does not change the story, the bosses, or the enemy tables. It is strictly an opt in layer that raises the cost of a death from a rollback to a full save deletion.
How the Movie is Distributed
The Unanswered//butterfly promotional movie is roughly two hours long and is told from the point of view of two characters named Emirun and Rex. Access to the movie varies by edition and by venue:
Ultimate Edition owners: receive the full uncut version of the movie bundled with the edition, including unreleased footage that is not shown in the other distribution paths. This is the only way to keep a permanent local copy of the full cut.
Standard and Deluxe owners: do not receive the movie bundled with the game, but are still able to watch it during its limited time screenings or when it becomes available on select streaming platforms. The streaming platforms carrying the movie have not been named publicly.
Non owners: the same public distribution paths apply. The screenings and streaming window are not restricted to players of the game.
Theme Song
The bundled promotional anime Unanswered Butterfly carries an original theme song, "Live to Survive" by Aimer, which previewed in a May 2026 trailer ahead of release. The song is tied to the film bundle and the promotional rollout. It does not change the edition contents: only the Ultimate and Aincrad editions ship the uncut film locally, while Standard and Deluxe buyers can still hear the song through the public screenings and the streaming release.
Pre-Order Bonuses by Platform
Ahead of release, various pre-order bonuses are expected to be offered per storefront. These are handled per platform rather than from a single unified list, and the exact contents of each bonus pack depend on where the pre-order is placed. Players who want to see the full list for their chosen platform should check the storefront they plan to buy the game on, for example the PlayStation 5 store, the Xbox Series X and S store, or the PC storefront they prefer. The pre-order bonuses are separate from the Standard pre-order bonus already documented above (the Proto-Elucidator Series Weapon Pack), so storefront exclusives may stack with the cross platform weapon pack depending on how the storefront packages its version.
The Starter Pack contents that ship inside the Ultimate Edition are distinct from these per storefront pre-order bonuses: the Starter Pack is a guaranteed part of the Ultimate bundle regardless of where it is purchased, while per storefront pre-order bonuses vary by platform and are tied to the act of pre-ordering rather than to a specific edition tier.
Launch Platforms and Voicing
All editions release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and PC worldwide on July 10, 2026. Every edition includes an English dub in addition to the original Japanese voicing. This is a change from previous entries in the series, which shipped with Japanese voice acting and multi language subtitles only. Edition choice does not affect voicing: an English dub is available across Standard, Deluxe, and Ultimate.
Choosing an Edition
Pick Standard if you want the base experience, plan to finish the main story before trying a permadeath run, and are comfortable catching the movie during its limited time screenings or through the streaming release.
Pick Deluxe if you expect to play the post launch story DLC and want the option to start a Death Game Mode save on day one without clearing the main story first.
Pick Ultimate if you want all of the above plus a permanent local copy of the full uncut Unanswered//butterfly movie, including the unreleased footage that is not in the screening cut or the streaming cut.