Mercenaries Grace: Black Feather and the Golden Right Arm arrives on PS5, Switch, and PC

RideonJapan has announced Mercenaries Grace: Black Feather and the Golden Right Arm, the eighth title in the Mercenaries tactical RPG series. The game will release in Japan on November 2026 for PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and PC. An English version is in development.

The game takes place in the Kingdom of Grauxes, where the sudden death of the tyrannical King O'Neil sets the stage for a succession struggle. The story follows Swan, a young mercenary who works alongside Gersh, a mercenary with an iron prosthetic hand, and their company known as the Iron-armed mercenaries. After rescuing the beautiful general Berta from a forbidden tower in the north, Berta is revealed to be O'Neil's true sister. O'Neill's vassals position her as the next queen, but those seeking to protect their interests create turbulence around her enthronement. The fates of Swan and Berta become intertwined in the unfolding conflict.

Mercenaries Grace is a tactical simulation RPG set in a fantasy world. Battles take place on a quota view map with height differences, and combat results change based on front, back, and lateral positioning. The game emphasizes high strategy through support effects generated by ally character placement. Character development offers significant freedom through skill acquisition, stat strengthening, and class changes using skill points earned in battle.

The character design comes from illustrator mitsu_plus, with beautifully drawn characters expressing a rich range of emotions during gameplay.

The most significant change to the series comes in the battle system. Previous Mercenaries Saga games used a complete turn system where all player characters acted first, then all enemy characters acted. Mercenaries Grace replaces this with a one-by-one alternating turn system similar to chess and shogi. Characters from both the player side and enemy side act individually in sequence, allowing players to strategize around action order and predict enemy moves.

The class system has also been redesigned. Previous titles featured one initial class that branched into two intermediate jobs, creating seven total classes at the beginner, senior, and special levels. The new "Ladder Class" system offers eight classes organized into beginner, intermediate, advanced, and special tiers. Players can advance to adjacent classes in addition to direct promotions, allowing greater flexibility in character growth paths.

A new "Soul Exceed" mechanic adds tactical depth. A gauge in the upper right of the screen accumulates during attacks and defense. When filled, players can consume the stored power to activate Soul Exceed, a special attack unique to each ladder class. Soul Exceed effects vary by class, ranging from dealing massive damage to enemies to recovering all allies' HP and curing status abnormalities. Strategic use of these special skills is described as key to victory.

First screenshots of the game have been released, showing the new battle system and character designs in action.