On December 17 JST,Nihon FalcomannouncedThe Legend of Heroes: Kuro no Kisekithrough theFamitsumagazine released that day. (Officially titled Weekly Famitsu Magazine June 15, 2025 Issue).The Legend of Heroes: Kuro no Kisekiwill launch in 2021 in Japan. No platforms were specified yet but it’s likely the first Japanese release will be onPS4andPS5. Falcom opened ateaser site, sharing screenshots and concept artworks. Here are all the details Falcom revealed through Famitsu magazine.The Legend of Heroes: Kuro no KisekifollowsHajimari no Kisekistorywise, and will feature a new setting, new characters, and new game systems. It’s a new start for the series. First, take a look at the game’s official prologue we translated below. Needless to say, all the technical terms used there aren’t official. This is simply how we decided to translate them. They might be named or spelled differently the day the game gets localized.
The Legend of Heroes: Kuro no KisekiPrologue
“The underground solvers, also called Spriggan. A certain occupation born through the ethnic melting pot that is the Calvard Republic. Acting as detectives, negotiators, or bounty hunters. They accept any request, from anyone. Helping out the police when they can’t solve certain cases. Lending an hand to citizens whose problems can’t be solved by the law. And even requests from the criminal underworld. This is how the Spriggan live.
One day, in 1208, Septian Calendar. In the capital of the Calvard Republic, in the old town. A certain girl, with an apparent good upbringing, donning the uniform of a prestigious school, was standing in front of an old-looking residential building.
“Arcride Spriggan Agency”.
The girl gallantly looked at the plain office plate. She cleared her throat to steel herself and knocked three times.
“Uwaaaa, it’s pretty rare for clients to visit in the morning…”
The sloven, calm, and surprisingly young voice of a man reverberated as the doorknob slowly turned.
This marked the start of a new Trails.”
In Famitsu and theofficial press release, Calvard is described as a place with an oriental atmosphere, where many cultures and influences mix. The region experienced a boom due to post-war development. However, part of Calvard territory has turned into a desert due to the withering of its dragon veins, which is how Calvard natives name the Septium Veins. As such, many from these territories have migrated, creating anti-migration sentiment. Moreover, the new president of the Calvard Republic is pushing through big and bold reforms. Stirring more unrest in the region.
Next, Famitsu magazine included a six-pages long interview with Falcom president Toshihiro Kondo, revealing the first details onThe Legend of Heroes: Kuro no Kiseki. We summarized everything below.
Explaining the NameKuro no Kiseki
First off, Toshihiro Kondo explained the titleKuro no Kiseki. Falcom decided on the nameKuroin late October 2020.Kuro no Kisekiis written with the kanji é», and comes from é»æ, which means dawn. Kondo said it’s to evoke the dark blue sky that slowly becomes brighter, with the sky being the darkest just before dawn. It’s also to reflect the state of the series, and how we still have no answers for the biggest mysteries, but they’re started to be shined upon. It also reflects the image colors of the new protagonists.
TheKisekiseries protagonists until now were all clearly on the good side of society. With the Bracers, police officers, and soldiers. However, the new protagonists are in a grayer area. Their theme colors will have a mix of black and white, and darker colors like blue. The series also prefaced there will be a mix of black and white coming soon, with having white as the main color theme forHajimari. Kondo joked he kinda regrets they didn’t callHajimari"Shiro no Kiseki" instead to have some contrast withKuro no Kiseki.
(While the official name could turn out different, you could callKuro no Kisekiwith the English nameTrails of DawnorTrails of The Dawn.)
New Engine Used forKuro no Kiseki
Next, Kondo spoke about the development ofKuro no Kiseki. As he already hinted multiple times in the past, two games were in development onceTrails of Cold Steel IVwas finished. They were developed simultaneously. One turned out to beHajimari no Kiseki. The other is the now revealedKuro no Kiseki. The new game has a brand new setting, and fully uses the new in-house engine they started using with some of the cutscenes inHajimari.
The main reason they changed engines is simply because it was getting really old and harder and harder to use for the employees. Moreover, theKisekiseries and theYsseries used different engines. Making it even harder for the developers who go back and forth between the two teams. So they thought it would be great if they made their own engine and used the same one for both series. The development of the engine fully started onceYs IX: Monstrum Noxwas done.
Kondo stressed out the new engine still wasn’t done when they were working onHajimari. MeaningKuro no Kisekiwill look better. The quality of the characters' models have been upgraded too, and players will feel a considerable difference once they actually play the game.
Falcom’s Current Development Style, and how theHajimariandKuroTeams Were Separate
Following next, Kondo explained that while Falcom will use a new engine now, their work philosophy isn’t changing. Ever sinceDragon Slayer, Falcom makes the games they want to play, play them, and improve on the points they can change. That’s why historically there are many developers in Falcom with multiple roles from scenario writer to programmer and planner. As they gained experience, they specialized in certain roles. An example forKuro no Kisekiis how it has a dedicated planner. So theKisekiteam is changing a bit the way it works. Kondo jokingly added that theYsteam isn’t changing though. Falcom recruited some new staff these part years, who most notably worked onHajimari. This mix of old and new Falcom and the increase in developers is what allows them to challenge new things withKuro no Kiseki. Kondo also stated Falcom is always recruiting so be sure to apply if you’re interested.
The team working onHajimariand the one onKurowere separate, and only merged whenHajimariwas completed. Kondo said the team is neatly layered, each layer working on specific parts, but how there are also multiple people working on the same elements, like the main scenario. He joked that he’s a bit worried with how the team is incredibly motivated and keep adding ideas on what they want to do.Kuro no Kiseki’s development is going well, and they’ll make sure they don’t go overboard with the new systems.
The Culture, Climate and Size of the Republic of Calvard
Next, Kondo focused on the Calvard Republic. He explained that the name Calvard and characters from Calvard appeared in the games sinceTrails in the Sky. And how they already established with these elements that it’s a multi-cultural country. However, they only started thinking in-depth of the setting of Calvard whenTrails of Cold Steel/ Erebonia arc was over. Such as the organization of the Republic, it’s power structure, and the politics going on there.
Kondo explained they tend to wait to not set things in stone too early. In the past, if they had already fully decided what kind of place Calvard is, they might have been unable to do certain things now.
Calvard will surprise players with its large variety of landscapes. It’s inspired from Eastern Europe and Asian culture, mixing both. It’ll also feature a much more ethnically diverse cast compared to past games. The territory of Calvard is huge so there are many different cultures. Kondo said the size of Calvard on the Zemuria map, once more of the map is revealed, will probably end being as big as the Erebonian Empire. The climate of Calvard can differ greatly as well, with the eastern part being desert because of the withering of the dragon veins.
Later on, Falcom will explain the various cultures in Calvard, as they introduce the characters inKuro no Kiseki.
Story and Characters ofThe Legend of Heroes:Kuro no Kiseki
First off, Kondo explained the additional stories which were added toHajimarion June 06, 2025, via a free update, work like a prologue toKuro no Kiseki. The stories give a glimpse of some characters that will appear inKuro no Kiseki, and they ended in March 1208 of the Septian Calendar. That’s around whenKurobegins.
90% of the Cast are New Protagonists, New Supporting Characters, And New Antagonists
Kondo explained that inKuro no Kiseki, about 90% of the protagonists, the allies, the side characters, and the antagonists, will be brand new. It’ll be to the point that fans wouldn’t know it’s aTrails/Kisekigame without seeing the title. At the same time, this will also makeKuroan easy entry point for newcomers.
Kondo jokingly said the rest of the developers at Falcom threatened him to not reveal who is the protagonist yet, but he said that the three characters shown in the screenshots will be the root of the story. The female character revealed is the Heroine character ofKuro no Kiseki. (The Japanese games sense of the word Heroine. She is not the protagonist. You probably do know the meaning of the word Heroine in Japanese games if you’ve read this article this far).
She seems to be the female character mentioned in the prologue. As Kondo previously mentioned, you can see the mix of black and white in her theme colors.
Kuro no KisekiWill Have the Oldest Protagonist Yet
Kondo didn’t confirm whether the man in blue is the protagonist or not. However, he said that the team wished to feature an older, mature protagonist. The protagonist ofKuro no Kisekiwill be the oldest protagonist of the series so far. The only exception being ãCãinHajimari.
The Golden Haired Girl and The Red Haired Boy
They had these characters in mind for 2 years, when the development ofHajimariandKurobegan. The golden haired girl appeared in the scenarios added through the update inHajimari. Meanwhile, the red-haired man appears in theHajimari no Kisekiofficial calendar. Kondo explained that showing us the golden haired girl in the additional story ofHajimariwas a last minute addition they didn’t plan for. When discussing the update’s content, theHajimariteam thought that fans would be dissatisfied with how the Ouroboros Grandmaster didn’t show up in the game. So after asking theKuro no Kisekiteam, they added her episode.
Hints for the Returning Characters in the Remaining 10%
Some characters linked to Calvard who appeared in past games likeTrails in the Skywill be back. Moreover, Kondo said “the past characters that you think will appear in the game will appear in the game. Probably”. Of course, Ouroboros characters will appear too. But he can’t say who and if it’ll only be new characters or not.
How Many Games TheKuro no KisekiArc / Calvard Arc Will be?
Kondo needless to say didn’t directly answer. He explainedThe Legend of Heroes: Kuro no Kisekiwill have a proper conclusion in itself. But they won’t be able to make moreKuro no Kisekigames if the first one doesn’t sell.
How BigThe Legend of Heroes: Kuro no KisekiWill be?
Kondo explained the game will be around as big as a singleTrails of Cold Steelgame. However it’ll be a very different story.Sen no Kisekiseries focused on Erebonia and the drama born through the empire. Calvard arc will show a different side of the world with how the main characters act in a morally gray zone.
Additional Details on the Amount of Characters in the Game
The series so far is an Ensemble Cast, focusing on many different characters and developing them.Sen no Kisekigames in particular had a huge amount of supporting characters, because Rean and the main characters had many allies. Meanwhile, because of the main characters' job inKuro no Kiseki,they have way more enemies than allies. So while Kondo can’t tell for sure until the game is finished, it’ll probably have around the same amount of side characters as inSen no Kiseki. Except it’ll mainly be enemies instead of allies.
The Legend of Heroes: Kuro no Kiseki- First Details on the New Battle System, Which is Still Turn-Based
Following next, Kondo spoke about one of the biggest aspects of theKisekiseries after its story, characters and worldbuilding. The battle system. First off, he joked that there obviously won’t be over 50 playable characters inKuro no KisekilikeHajimaridid.
Toshihiro Kondo explained that inThe Legend of Heroes: Kuro no Kiseki, the transition from exploration to battle will be seamless, location-wise and time-wise. Meaning there is no dedicated fighting arena when a battle starts, and you start fighting on the spot. The only difference when you enter battle is a slight camera zoom. The Field Attack that appeared in past games until now has been fused into the commands you use in battle now.
Next, Kondo stressed out that while they plan to add Action elements, it won’t be an Action battle system. It won’t be a battle system based on reflexes like in an Action RPG such asTokyo Xanadu. And it won’t be like a certain mainstream RPG remake, hinting atFinal Fantasy 7 Remake. But instead of inputting the commands while the characters don’t move, you will be able to do it in “real time”. Moreover, we’ll be able to switch between the turn-based battle system and the battle system that includes Action elements. Turn-based will allow you to give out more fleshed out instructions to the characters, so you should switch systems depending on the situation. Lastly, Kondo stated the terrain’s geography will also affect the battle system.
Arts and Crafts
Arts and Crafts are still inKuro no Kiseki. However, the Tactical Orbment Arcus is swapped out for a new element named Xipha. The Tactical Link and the Brave Order mechanics fromTrails of Cold SteelandHajimari no Kisekiare not returning. As a replacement, there will be several new systems using Xipha they will reveal later. The screenshot above is a battle screenshot, showing the red haired character preparing an Arts.
Battles will be Faster Overall
The main reason they’re changing the battle system is to increase the battle’s tempo. With a brand new UI and button operation, the battle time will only depend on the strength of the enemies now. Battles will be shorter when fighting weaker enemies.
New Game Systems
The Topic System
Kuro no Kisekiwill introduce the Topic System. It’ll be similar to TIPS menus found in Sound Novels. (Such asHigurashi,Umineko, and the Mystery Files in13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim). Kondo explained many fans of theTrails / Kisekiseries enjoy regularly speaking with NPCs. The Topic System will be linked to that. For example, you heard in a conversation “it looks like that store will start a special sale starting next week”. This will be registered as a Topic in the Topic System. If you go to the specified store and use the Topic System, depending on how you bring up the subject, it’s possible to convince the merchant to give you the bargain ahead of schedule. This will be in tone with the protagonist’s job as a Spriggan, always turning situations to their advantage. Kondo however said they don’t know yet how far this system will go.
Alignment Frame System
Toshihiro Kondo explained that depending on your play style, the characters have three unique numerical attributes that will raise: Law, Gray, and Chaos. These attributes will influence the character’s stats and the scenario. It’s a brand new system in theTrails / Kisekiseries called the Alignment Frame. For example, after catching a criminal, you’ll be able to choose whether you hand them out to the Bracer Guild or not. Each of the three attributes of the Alignment Frame will raise depending on these actions. And depending on your Alignment Frame, the job offers and the dialogue choices you get will differ.
New Game + is Still Here
Toshihiro Kondo said you’ll need to playKuro no Kisekiat least twice to see everything the game has to offer and 100% the game. Your Law, Gray, and Chaos attributes are also inherited in New Game +. Moreover, it’s impossible to be locked out of an event because one of the three attributes is too high. So players don’t need to worry about missing content because they raised a certain attribute too much.
New System Similar to Bonding Events
Toshihiro Kondo explained that seeing the protagonist can also handle shady jobs, the game’s atmosphere is different than what we’ve seen in theKisekiseries so far. There will be a system nearly identical to Bonding Events, but under a new name. Partly because the protagonist is an adult.
The Legend of Heroes: Kuro no Kiseki- Platforms And Release Date Estimate
Lastly, Toshihiro Kondo explained thatKuro no Kisekihas no specific release platforms announced yet. Basically, they’d like to release the game not only on PlayStation 4 but on other platforms as well. However, Falcom also encountered technical problems preventing that. So it might be best to first focus on the platform where there’s the most demand for the series. Kondo also mentioned how it’s difficult picking the platforms as fans overseas also have high demands for various platforms.
When Falcom started working on the new engine, they didn’t have access to PS5 info yet. However, they’re now making concrete progress for PS5.
Release Date Estimate
Kondo explained that first,Nayuta no Kiseki: Kai, which was simultaneously announced in Famitsu, will launch before Summer 2021 on PS4. ThenKuro no Kisekiwill launch by the end of 2021. Falcom stated in its latest financials that thenextKisekigame would release by September 2021. MeaningKuro no Kisekiwill release by September 2021.
Kondo said they’d like to do a special event for the Falcom 40th anniversary. But it’s difficult with the current state of the world. It’ll be a shame to let the opportunity slip by, so they are preparing goods and other celebrations. More announcements will come by July 14, 2025, the anniversary day.
Last Words From Toshihiro Kondo in the Famitsu Interview:
Toshihiro Kondo: “This is a very big milestone for theKisekiseries. We’re renewing everything. Our company is cerebrating its 40th anniversary, so we need the appropriate fireworks to go with it (laughs). Right now, I can without any doubts say this will be our most ambitious game yet. We will keep doing our best so we can release the game for the 40th anniversary, heads held high. More information will be coming at a later date. Please look forward to it”.
The Legend of Heroes: Kuro no Kisekiwas announced by Falcom a few hours after the release of Famitsu magazine:
How Falcom Previously TeasedKuro no Kiseki
BothThe Legend of Heroes: Hajimari no Kisekiand the game after it, now officially announced asThe Legend of Heroes: Kuro no Kiseki, were first teased by Falcom inMarch 2019. Both games were furthermore teased withscreenshots and story hints in June 2019, at theÂKisekiÂSeries15th Anniversary Event. Lastly, FalcomÂmentioned in November 2019 that a newÂKisekigame would launch in Japan by September 2020.Hajimariwas finally announced onDecember 18, 2019, at a shareholders meeting. The game released on PS4 in Japan and Asia on June 01, 2025. Now,Kuro no Kisekiwas announced on June 02, 2025, through Famitsu, and a few hours later at a shareholders meeting.
Falcom mentioned the new engine several times in the past too. Most notably, Kondo explained that if theTrails in the Skytrilogy ever gets a remake,itâll be with this new engine.
HajimariandKurowere not announced in the west yet.Falcom teasedZeroandAo no Kisekiwill get localized. The latest game released in the west isThe Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steeel 4.Be sure to check our review by series specialist Kris Cornelisse. Meanwhile,Ys IX: Monstrum Noxwill be out in English on June 24, 2025 on PS4, and on PC and Switch in Summer 2021. Lastly,Falcom is already working on the nextYsgame, thought we donât know if itâsYs X, anYs V remakeremake, or a spinoff like a newKiseki Vs Ysgame.Ys VIII Mobileis still in development as well.
