Digimon Story: Time Stranger
Seventh Story subseries game; fastest-selling Digimon title in North America.
Digimon Story: Time Stranger is a 2025 role-playing game from developer Media.Vision and publisher Bandai Namco Entertainment. As the seventh entry in the Story subseries, it arrived eight years after *Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth – Hacker's Memory*. The game was released for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows on October 3, 2025, with Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 versions following on July 10, 2026.
The title pushed the franchise’s international reach further than before. Following the overseas expansion that began with *Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth* in 2016—itself driven by strong North American interest in the Digimon anime—the IP’s revenue by the early 2020s came mostly from outside Japan. *Time Stranger* continued the series' tradition of English dubs and featured translations into 11 languages.
Designed as an entry point for both longtime fans and newcomers, the game generated a notable surge in interest despite heavy competition, especially in Western markets. It exceeded expectations there and enjoyed a strong PC launch, though no official sales data has been released to confirm specific sales records. The Digimon brand overall reached record profitability for Bandai, led by *Time Stranger*, 26 years after the franchise’s original economic peak tied to the 1999 anime. Critics attributed much of its success to nostalgic appeal for millennials who grew up with that series. The game was generally well received for a formula critics found more engaging than previous entries, though they pointed out its linearity, reliance on Japanese genre conventions, and technical flaws.
**Development**
The project was first announced on December 8, 2017, just before *Hacker’s Memory* launched. Producer Kazumasa Habu, calling it “a completely new Digimon Story project,” explained that *Hacker’s Memory* was developed alongside *Time Stranger* to keep fan enthusiasm high during the wait. A year later, on September 12, 2018, Habu confirmed development was ongoing and announced *Digimon Survive* (scheduled for 2019) because *Time Stranger* still had “some time to go.”
On February 27, 2022, Habu again confirmed the game was in the works, revealing it would take place in the Digital World and feature the Olympos XII as main characters. On February 20, 2024, he disclosed he had stopped working on Digimon gam
- developer
- Media.Vision
- publisher
- Bandai Namco Entertainment
- release_date_initial
- October 3, 2025
- platforms_initial
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows
- release_date_switch
- July 10, 2026
- platforms_switch
- Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2
- series
- Digimon Story subseries
Lore & Background
Digimon Story: Time Stranger was announced on December 8, 2017, just before the release of Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth – Hacker's Memory. Producer Kazumasa Habu stated that Hacker's Memory was developed in parallel with Time Stranger to avoid dampening fan enthusiasm. Development continued over several years, with Habu confirming in 2022 that the game would take place in the Digital World and feature the Olympos XII as main characters. By February 2024, Habu revealed he had not been working on Digimon games since April 2023, though the game was still being worked on by someone else. The first trailer was shown on February 12, 2025, during a PlayStation State of Play stream, after being leaked via GameStop preorder pages. The game launched worldwide on October 3, 2025, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows, with Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 versions following on July 10, 2026. A large-scale DLC expansion titled A Hero’s Eternal Legacy was announced in 2026.
Reader's Guide
Digimon Story: Time Stranger is significant as the first entry in the Story series to feature an English dub and translations into 11 languages, reflecting the franchise's shift toward international markets. It became the fastest-selling Digimon title in the series, particularly in North America, where it remained among the best-selling releases. The game was developed as a new entry point for both longtime fans and newcomers, and its success contributed to record profitability for the Digimon brand, 26 years after the franchise's original economic boom driven by the 1999 anime. Critics noted that its success was partly driven by nostalgic appeal for millennials who grew up with the 1999 animated series. The game was generally well received for its engaging formula, though critics pointed to its linearity, reliance on Japanese genre conventions, and technical shortcomings. The soundtrack, composed by Masafumi Takada, includes the main theme 'Wherever You Are' performed by Reche, and a DLC pack featuring 16 classic tracks from the Digimon anime series.
Did You Know?
- Digimon Story: Time Stranger was announced on December 8, 2017, before the release of Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth – Hacker's Memory.
- The game was the first in the Story series to feature an English dub and translations into 11 languages.
- The Nintendo Switch 2 version offers two modes: enhanced visuals at 4K 30fps and a performance mode at 1080p 60fps.
- The main theme song 'Wherever You Are' is performed by Reche in both Japanese and English versions.
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