fate/grand order arcade
Image via Lasengle

I Wish We Could Play Fate/Grand Order Arcade at Home

In May 2023, Sega and Lasengle announced that they would no longer add new playable Servants to Fate/Grand Order Arcade. At the time, I thought that this meant we would soon see a PC or home console port of this game, which is exclusive to Japanese arcades. More than a year has passed since with no such announcement. My predictions obviously did not come to pass. Considering that 2025 will be the 10th anniversary of Fate/Grand Order though, I sincerely hope Sega and Lasengle will bring this game overseas, even if it might not be feasible.

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For the longest time, I was under the impression that the GPUs inside arcade machines are more advanced than a home console. This was mostly due to Dissidia Final Fantasy NT. The graphics were so pretty that I thought it could only exist on arcades, and none of the YouTube videos I saw at the time showed the PS4 or Windows PC versions. Now, of course, I understand the processing power in an arcade cabinet and how it can compare machines like the PS4. Fate/Grand Order Arcade requiring too much processing power for a home console is not, in fact, the reason behind why there isn’t a port.

But what is? I’m not sure. Maybe it’s for financial reasons; perhaps the projected profit simply isn’t worth the loss. Or perhaps the companies thought that people wouldn’t be interested in the title. If that’s the case, then I hope the widespread interest in 2024 releases like Tsukihime and Fate/stay night will change their minds.

fate/grand order arcade koyanskaya
Image via Sega, Lasengle

“What’s the big idea with this anyway?” You might be asking. “Isn’t Fate/Grand Order Arcade just an arcade version of the mobile game?” Well, yes and no. It uses a similar setting and gacha system. You have Servants that have three active skills, multiple passive skills, and a Noble Phantasm they can unleash after their NP gauge is full. Craft Essences work as weapons in that you can equip them to Servants to boost stats or impart useful buffs and effects. Mechanics like Critical Stars and Command Cards still exist, with some alterations.

However, there wasn’t a story for the first three years of service. Instead, Fate/Grand Order Arcade is a more of a 3v3 PvP. While you can go grind in the single-person mode, the main meat of the game is the PvP. Now, I can understand some reservations. Some fans might not want to play a PvP Fate game. Sega and Lasengle might worry that it won’t have enough players to sustain the servers, especially since it would be competing against other team-based PvP games like Apex Legends or League of Legends or whatnot.

There are ways that Sega and Lasengle could secure a player base. Unlike with Concord and hero shooter games like Overwatch and Apex Legends, Fate/Grand Order Arcade is unique enough that it’s not stepping on other games’ toes. Considering it’s part of the Fate franchise, it can guarantee that a percentage of existing Fate fans would pick it up, versus how Concord had to try and make you care about a roster of new characters.

If they’re worried about the online PvP element not working out too well, such as a lack of match-ups, they could also try to incorporate more of the mobile game’s story to provide a more engaging solo mode. Of course, that would be quite a bit of work and money, and maybe Sega and Lasengle don’t want to take that risk. I’m sure they can conduct market research into player interest though, as well as whether an F2P with microtransactions or a priced game with DLC would be more profitable.

fate/grand order arcade amakusa
Image via Lasengle, Sega

As someone who enjoys Fate more for the story and characters than the mechanics, it kind of sucks that Arcade is exclusive to Japan. I really like how the Servants appear in your room as 3D models, complete with animations and dynamic facial expressions when they say their voice lines. That was one of the draws for me, and it still is the main reason why I really want to play Arcade. There are also some Servants who are exclusive to the arcade version, such as Jacques Molay. While formerly exclusive Servants like Proto Merlin and Tiamat have debuted in the mobile game, Molay and Summer Suzuka Gozen are, as of the time of writing, still locked to Arcade.

A common criticism I see online for Fate/Grand Order is that it has very dated mechanics. The lack of auto-battle is a personal strike against it, especially during events that require you to farm until you run out of AP and apples. Of course, Arcade is a separate game so it’s not as if it’s going to change anything in the mobile version. But it would certainly be a nice way to introduce more players to Fate/Grand Order, especially now that it’s easier than ever to get into the Nasuverse.

Fate/Grand Order is readily available on mobile devices. Fate/Grand Order Arcade is only available in Japan.


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Author
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Stephanie Liu
Stephanie is a senior writer who has been writing for games journalism and translating since 2020. After graduating with a BA in English and a Certificate in Creative Writing, she spent a few years teaching English and history before fulfilling her childhood dream of becoming a writer. In terms of games, she loves RPGs, action-adventure, and visual novels. Aside from writing for Siliconera and Crunchyroll, she translates light novels, manga, and video games.
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