Bandai Namco has confirmed a Western release date for Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet. The Dimps-developed title is due to launch on the 18th February in Japan, and thankfully, the North American and European date is only a few days behind. It headshots the West on the 23rd February, 2018.

The publisher's also spilled some more info on the game's systems:

  • UFG Weapon: The user’s avatar will be gifted by the ArFA-Sys with this special weapon. It enables 3D movements around the environment allowing the player to throw a light wire and reach higher areas of the map, getting closer to enemies reaching a better shooting position or to hit flying opponents.
  • Bounty Player: In offline mode, besides enemies, some NPC will appear and challenge the player. They can appear in group of 4 or alone and defeating them will guarantee more rewards and a thrilling experience.
  • 4players Party: The player will have the chance to face the entirely solo experience by himself or go to up 4 party members. In party mode the player won’t direct control the members but will have the chance to set specific actions and behaviours.
  • New Characters: Besides Kirito, Asuna and Sinon new characters will join the crew like Yuuki, Strea, LLenn and Pitohui, both from Alternative Online Gun Gale
  • GC Events: During the game some special actions can trigger special party events to discover more about the characters’ life.

Fatal Bullet has been in development for quite a while now, and generally seems to be a cut above the other Sword Art Online games in terms of overall quality. Some are calling it "anime Destiny", since the title has a similar loot system and obviously sees you shooting a lot of guns. Hopefully the finished product lives up to expectations.

Are you looking forward to Fatal Bullet? Watch those damage numbers soar in the comments section below.