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Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris Game Gets Manga by Tomo Hirokawa

This year's October issue of Kadokawa's Dengeki Maoh magazine revealed on Friday that Tomo Hirokawa will launch a manga adaptation of Bandai Namco Entertainment's Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris game that will debut in Kadokawa's Monthly Dengeki PlayStation Comic (DenPla Comic) book bundled with the Monthly Dengeki PlayStation magazine. The manga will debut "soon" (a new issue of Monthly Dengeki PlayStation debuts on the 26th of each month).

Hirokawa also ended the manga adaptation of the Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization game in the October issue of Kadokawa's Dengeki Maoh magazine.

The Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris game will release for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. Bandai Namco Entertainment has not revealed a release date for the game.

The game follows the same basic storyline as the Sword Art Online: Alicization anime. However, it does not follow the same route as the Sword Art Online: Alicization - War of Underworld run that will premiere in October. Instead, it will branch off at that point into its own game route. The staff consulted with original creator Reki Kawahara, who wanted a game that depicts the original storyline, at least in the first half.

Bandai Namco Entertainment America describes the game:

Play as series protagonist, Kirito, and become immersed in the “Underworld,” a mysterious virtual world set in the anime series' Alicization arc. Featuring epic battles, stunning JRPG visuals, and an expansive world to explore; Kirito's journey through the latest Sword Art Online game is ready to begin.

Following the events of the Sword Art Online Alicization anime series, Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris finds Kirito in a mysterious but familiar virtual world, “Underworld,” where A.I.s behave like humans. As players take control of Kirito, they will relive heart-pounding scenes from the series through intense combat. Players will also encounter fan favorite characters including Eugeo, Alice, Administrator, and many more. A wide world awaits Kirito and his friends in this exciting adaptation to the Sword Art Online: Alicization series.

Sword Art Online: Alicization premiered in Japan in October 2018 and is streaming on Crunchyroll, Hulu, and FunimationNow. The series is adapting the entire "Alicization Arc" of Reki Kawahara's original novels and will air for four cours, or four quarters of a year. The first two cours aired from October to March, and the second two cours, titled Sword Art Online: Alicization - War of Underworld, will premiere on October 12.

Source: Dengeki Maoh October issue