NIS America Accelerates Trails and Ys Localization for Western Fans

NIS America is working to deliver Falcom’s celebrated Trails and Ys series to Western players faster. Discover how the publisher is streamlining localization for these iconic RPGs.

NIS America Boosts Localization Speed for Trails and Ys Titles

Falcom Games to Reach Western Audiences Sooner

Exciting news for JRPG enthusiasts! At last week’s Ys X: Nordics digital showcase, NIS America’s Senior Associate Producer, Alan Costa, shared the company’s dedication to speeding up the release of Falcom’s cherished Trails and Ys series in Western markets.

“I can’t dive into specifics about our internal changes,” Costa told PCGamer. “But we’re putting in strong efforts to localize [Falcom games] faster,” referencing Ys X: Nordics and Trails Through Daybreak II, set for release this October and early next year, respectively.

Although Trails Through Daybreak II launched in Japan in September 2022, its planned early 2025 Western release marks “a significant reduction in the timeline we used to have for Trails games.”

In the past, Western fans faced long delays for these series. For example, Trails in the Sky, released in Japan on PC in 2004, only reached global audiences in 2011 via XSEED Games’ PSP version. Even newer titles like Trails from Zero and Trails to Azure took twelve years to arrive in the West.

In 2011, Jessica Chavez, former XSEED Games Localization Manager, explained the challenges of localizing Trails in the Sky II. She noted that translating millions of characters with a small team was a major hurdle, given the immense text volume in Trails games.

While localization still takes two to three years, NIS America emphasizes quality alongside speed. Costa stated, “We aim to release [games] as quickly as possible without compromising localization quality… Striking that balance is something we’ve been refining for years, and we’re improving.”

Localization remains time-intensive, especially for text-heavy games. The one-year delay of Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana due to translation issues underscores the challenges NIS America faces. However, Costa’s comments suggest the publisher is finding a balance between speed and precision.

The recent launch of Trails Through Daybreak reflects NIS America’s progress in delivering high-quality localizations faster. With the game earning praise from fans and newcomers alike, this could signal more promising developments from NIS America ahead.

Check out our review of The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak for more insights!