New Octopath Traveler Art Seems to Be Teasing Something Bravely Default Related

Last week, we mentioned Octopath Traveler for the Switch has already shipped over 1 million units globally. That's a great number for a niche RPG. Square Enix seems to agree, and it distributed a celebratory piece of artwork in way of thanks. Upon closer inspection, however, this festive little bit of art is more than it appears to be. It might even be a hint of what's next for Octopath's development team.

Nintendo UK tweeted the artwork on August 3. Upon first glance, it looks like a portrait of the game's eight main characters running off to…somewhere. When you lean in, you notice the characters are posed a little weirdly (Cyrus' legs are, uh, non-existent). What's the deal? Was Octopath artist Naoki Ikushima commissioned to make the piece on a day he resolved to take a break from drawing proper anatomy?

Nope. The Octopath crew in the mysterious new piece of art is arranged in such a way that they shadow Airy the faerie—the mascot for Octopath Traveler's sister series, Bravely Default.

Neato! Is a follow-up to 2016's Bravely Second in Square Enix's future, then? Maybe. If Octopath Traveler moved this many copies this quickly, Square Enix is probably already drawing up plans for its new series and / or new orders for the team behind it. I suppose it might also just be another benign salute from Ocopath to Bravely Default—see Tressa's exasperated "Mrgrgr!" for another—but I Want to Believe.™

Don't forget to take a peek at our substantial Octopath Traveler guides. You're going to want to read our Octopath Traveler review, too.