Sword Art Online: Last Recollection Ver.1.15 update on March 7 will add Minato Aqua as a playable character
Bandai Namco revealed that they will add Minato Aqua as a new playable character in Sword Art Online: Last Recollection. The Hololive Vtuber will join the roster via an update patch that brings the version up to Ver.1.15 and adds a new subquest titled "Visitor" on March 7.
Minato Aqua's subquest will be added as part of a free update patch, so all players will get the quest regardless of whether they have purchased any additional DLC or not. However, accessing this subquest will be completely optional. Aqua will start appearing in the Trading Square after the player has cleared a Main Quest in Chapter 3 that's translated from Japanese as "The New Mistletoe". Her starting rank will change depending on when the player accesses her subquest in accordance with the main story progression, but her final stats should not be affected by this. One of the screenshots that Bandai Namco newly shared also suggests that there will be a new bed talk scene with Aqua.
The Hololive Vtubers are still amassing enormous popularity, and many other games have also included them in-game. A prior example in an RPG that comes to our mind was Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny when it added unique character designs with voiceovers by the Vtubers themselves in 2021. Bandai Namco has been appointing Minato Aqua as a "Support Team Leader" to help promote SAO: Last Recollection since July 2023. With the Vtuber herself making her way into the game, she will fulfill her dream of actually meeting the series' characters.
You can find the new screenshots featuring Minato Aqua in Sword Art Online: Last Recollection right below. The game has been available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and PC via Steam. Bandai Namco has also released the 1st volume of the Ritual of Bonds DLC last month, with the 2nd volume also slated for release within this same year.
