Visions of Mana

Visions of Mana is an upcoming action role-playing game developed by Ouka Studios and published by Square Enix for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S. It is the fifth main title in the Mana series and is scheduled for release worldwide on August 29, 2024.

First announced in 2021, it is the first mainline game in the series to be released since Dawn of Mana in 2006, and sees the return of series designer/director Koichi Ishii, producer Masaru Oyamada, and composers Hiroki Kikuta, Tsuyoshi Sekito, and Ryo Yamazaki.

Gameplay and plot
Visions of Mana is set in a fantasy world where players take control of Val, a young man from the Fire Village of Tianeea. When his childhood friend, Hinna, undergoes a pilgrimage to the sacred Mana Tree, which controls the flow of mana throughout the world, Val accompanies her as a protector or "Soul Guard". Other characters who join Val on his mission include Morley, a cat-man and speedy attacker who seeks to overcome a traumatic event from his past, and Careena, a half-human, half-dragon dubbed "The One-Winged Oracle" who is always accompanied by her young dragon companion Ramcoh, the child of a sacred beast.

Like other games in the series, the title is an action role-playing game featuring real-time combat with enemies who inhabit the game's environments. The game features "semi-open world" areas made up of large maps the player may freely explore while advancing the story. Players may assume control of any member of their three-person party, each with their own unique skills. Each character has various combat classes which may be unlocked by acquiring items called Spirit Vessels and may be switched freely, granting them access to new abilities and powerful attacks call Class Strikes.

Development
The game was first announced in June 2021 as an unnamed console Mana title during the series' 30th anniversary stream broadcast. Square Enix registered a trademark for "Visions of Mana" on December 7, 2023 for Europe and Australia, and revealed the first trailer for the game during The Game Awards 2023 the following day along with a projected release some time in 2024. An expanded look at the game as well as release window was announced during an Xbox Developer_Direct in January 2024.

In January 2024, Producer Masaru Oyamada revealed that he was interested in creating a new mainline Mana game when he became the new series producer ten years earlier, but stated he was hesitant since the long gap between the last title may have diluted fan interest. After releasing a number of remakes and re-releases over the next few years, Oyamada became confident in producing a new entry, particularly after the positive reception of the 2020 remake of Trials of Mana. Series creator, director, and designer Koichi Ishii returned to the franchise with Visions of Mana, having last worked on 2007's Heroes of Mana, and oversaw the transition of the original monster designs of the series to 3D. He is joined by composers Hiroki Kikuta, Tsuyoshi Sekito, and Ryo Yamazaki, all of whom have contributed music and arrangements on previous Mana titles.

In March 2024, Square Enix producer Masaru Oyamada confirmed that NetEase's Japanese-Chinese subsidiary Ouka Studios, established in 2020, is the developer of the game.