Square Enix is asking Switch 2 owners to pay full price twice for the same games. Octopath Traveler and Octopath Traveler II arrive on Nintendo Switch 2 on October 1, but fine print in the announcement trailer confirms there is no upgrade path and no save data transfer from the original Switch versions.
The trailer's final splash screen reads: "There are no plans to sell an upgrade pack to upgrade the Nintendo Switch version to the Nintendo Switch 2 version." That means anyone who already owns either game on Switch must buy the full $60 version again at retail price to play on Switch 2, with zero discount and zero carryover of their progress.
Square Enix announced the ports during the series' eighth anniversary livestream. Both games feature improved resolution and frame rates on Switch 2, but otherwise contain no new content.
In Japan, the titles launched digitally the same day. Western audiences wait until October 1. Pricing confirms the premium. Each game costs $59.99 individually, with a digital bundle at $74.99.
Physical editions exist but ship as game-key cards, meaning the box contains a download code, not a cartridge. The original Switch versions are currently on deep discount.
The no-upgrade policy is especially frustrating because save data is incompatible between the two versions. Even paying $60 a second time means starting from scratch.
Square Enix's upgrade strategy is inconsistent across its own catalog. Dragon Quest remakes and Final Fantasy Tactics offer free upgrade paths from Switch 1 to Switch 2.
Romancing Saga 2 charges $10 for the same privilege. Octopath Traveler gets nothing. The original Octopath Traveler has sold over seven million copies and essentially created the HD-2D genre.
Both games were already playable on Switch 2 through backwards compatibility. The native versions add resolution and frame rate bumps but nothing else. Whether that's worth $60 a second time is a question Square Enix is leaving entirely to the buyer.
