Level-5 Inc., known for bringing us beloved Japanese gaming hits like Professor Layton, Ni No Kuni, and Yo-Kai Watch—not to mention their collaboration on Dragon Quest VIII and IX—is about to make waves by launching their Inazuma Eleven series on Xbox consoles with Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road for the first time.
This exciting reveal came during a special livestream event that offered a sneak peek into the game’s gameplay, storyline, and set the release date—mark your calendars for August 21, 2025.
For those unfamiliar, Inazuma Eleven is not your typical soccer game. Debuting in 2008, it cleverly combines the thrill of soccer with RPG elements and has expanded into a multimedia franchise that includes video games, manga, and captivating anime series and films.
In stark contrast to more realistic soccer games like FIFA or EA Sports FC, Inazuma Eleven takes a fun, exaggerated approach to the sport. Characters wield superpower-like abilities to secure their wins, and this whimsical style is very much a part of Victory Road.
Players can dive into single-player action with Story Mode and Chronicle Modes, or challenge others online in the Competition Mode.
In Story Mode, you’ll follow Destin Billows, a high school student set on leading his soccer team to become Japan’s best. It’s an engaging journey filled with mini-games and team-building moments, fueled by humor, emotion, and plenty of action.
With the game’s Chronicle Mode, revisit iconic matches and scenes throughout the Inazuma Eleven saga, thanks in part to a time-traveling character, Victorio. There’s a chance to tackle special challenges and bring together a dream team from over 5,200 characters.
Adding more depth to gameplay, the game introduces new ‘Manual Mode’ and ‘Commander Modes.’ Manual Mode gives you direct control over a character, à la traditional soccer video games, whereas Commander Mode lets the AI handle the players as you strategize from the sidelines.
Between matches, immerse yourself in Bond Town, where you can craft your own avatar and connect with other players online, even teaming up for special 2-player tag matches.
It’s a noteworthy moment for Xbox, scoring yet another standout RPG franchise.
This all seems thrilling, even to someone who hasn’t been familiar with the series. Though my personal taste leans more towards wrestling games, like WWE 2K25, it’s clear why Inazuma Eleven has maintained its allure over the years—with its top-tier production quality and spectacular super moves.
If you’re an enthusiast of sports anime or soccer, keep Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road on your radar when it arrives on August 21, 2025, for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and on PC via Steam.
