Nintendo's Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes is one of the more surprising game announcements for this year. It is a follow-up to the first Fire Emblem Warriors game, although set in the universe of 2019's Fire Emblem: Three Houses, unlike its predecessor. Instead of a retelling however, it will take place in an alternate timeline where previous player character Byleth doesn't become a teacher at the monastery, staying as a mercenary. The house leaders Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude embark on a new adventure that is completely separate from what players saw in Three Houses.
As a result of Byleth no longer being the protagonist, players will take up arms as a new character introduced to the game, Shez. Unlike Byleth, instead of becoming a teacher, the player will become a fellow student at one of the three houses. This will create a branching path at the start of Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, where they will be forced to side with either the Adrestian Empire, the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, or the Leicester Alliance.
Nintendo has recently released a trailer which showcases Dimitri and the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, alongside his classmates that fans can play as. In this trailer, it leads off with the banner of the kingdom, followed by Dimitri himself and his lance gameplay. The trailer proceeds to confirm that all seven classmates who were playable in Three Houses will be returning as well, complete with their own styles of combat and brand-new timeskip designs.
Dimitri's retainer Dedue was already confirmed to be returning, as well as Mercedes through some earlier footage and screenshots of Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes. Mercedes will be utilizing a variety of offensive white magic, as seen with pillars of light and spells she casts through the trailer. Fellow student Ashe is confirmed playable too, with a moveset that utilizes a bow and arrow and moving around the battlefield quickly.
Felix will be making a comeback in this game as well, with a sword-based moveset that is swift yet powerful, most likely taking cues from Navarre's moveset in Fire Emblem Warriors. Annette's playable iteration will have her focused on elemental magic, but she can use an axe for one of her special moves. Sylvain and Ingrid are shown at the very end of the trailer, both wielding a lance. What separates them from the other playable characters is that they will be riding a horse and Pegasus respectively, making them the army's mounted fighters.
Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes launches for Nintendo Switch on June 24.