Professor Layton and the New World of Steam is coming to PC via Steam and PlayStation 5 as well as Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, developer Level 5 has confirmed.
In a new video, the Japanese company committed to a simultaneous multiplatform release worldwide in 2026. An Xbox Series X and S version was not mentioned.
Announced in early 2023, Professor Layton and the New World of Steam has been a long time coming, and has missed various announced release windows. It seems that now, finally, the game has a firm launch window, as well as a multiplatform launch.
Professor Layton and the New World of Steam brings the beloved puzzle solving franchise forward by incorporating 3D gameplay for the first time, allowing for exploration in the U.S. town of Steam Bison. Previous games in the franchise almost worked as a visual novel, with players’ movement being limited to choosing an arrow button and being shifted to a new 2D image. And while Level 5 hasn’t moved away from this mechanic completely, players will instead navigate a fully built 3D world in The New World of Steam. Players will similarly be presented with a scene and arrows to move around but now have this full 3D world to explore from a first-person perspective. Unlike previous games, players can, for example, see a shifty character well in the background and make a point to head straight there, instead of not knowing what’s around the corner at all.
According to this latest trailer, new features include full 3D cutscenes, and mouse support across all platforms except Nintendo Switch. We’re promised the most puzzles in series history, and a memo for puzzle solving.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
