Update: An earlier version of this article listed Cuphead as an Xbox Game Studios title but it is owned and self-published through ID@Xbox by StudioMDHR. Below is an official statement by Microsoft about Ori coming to Switch:
Another Microsoft exclusive title is set to appear on a Nintendo system, as Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition is coming to the Nintendo Switch in September. Ori and the Blind Forest is a platform game that was originally released for Windows and Xbox One in 2015.
“The past year has been an exciting time for us as we have more than doubled the internal creative teams making up Xbox Game Studios. As these new studios transitioned in, we were aware of some existing commitments to other platforms and will honor them. However, going forward these new studios will focus on making games for our platforms. We have no plans to further expand our exclusive first party games to other consoles. We continue to believe deeply in cross play and progression of games with the right flexibility for developers to ensure a fair and fun experience.”
The game stars two spirits named Ori and Sein, as they try to save the forest of Nibel from a mysterious curse that is causing everything to decay. Ori and the Blind Forest is a Metroidvania, which means that the player needs to explore every corner of the dangerous game world in order to acquire new abilities that will allow to them to journey even deeper into the darkness within the forest and discover the source of the corruption. Ori and the Blind Forest was highly-acclaimed by critics upon release, with many praising the game’s incredible visuals, fast-paced gameplay, and engrossing story.
The story of Ori and Sein will soon be available to Nintendo fans across the world, as it was revealed during the Indie World Showcase that Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition will be released for the Nintendo Switch on September 27.
Ori and the Blind Forest isn’t the only Xbox title that has arrived on a Nintendo system recently, as Cuphead was also released on the Nintendo Switch earlier this year. There is also the case of the multiplatform release of Minecraft and the upcoming release of Minecraft Dungeons, which are both developed by the Microsoft-owned Mojang. There have been rumors of Ori and the Blind Forest coming to the Nintendo Switch since earlier this year, along with another rumor that Xbox Game Pass is coming to Nintendo Switch. The rumor seemed unbelievable at the time.
A sequel to Ori and the Blind Forest called Ori and the Will of the Wisps was announced at E3 2017 and is due to be released for Windows and Xbox One on February 2020. The fact that Ori and the Blind Forest is coming to a Nintendo system means that there is a chance that the sequel might also be coming to the Nintendo Switch in the future.
Next: Nintendo Controller Design Application Suggests SNES Games Are Coming To The Switch?
Source: Nintendo
