Fire Emblem Leak Suggests There Once Was a Game Planned Between Three Houses and Engage

A recent internal leak from Intelligent Systems suggests that the developer may have planned for anotherFire Emblemgame betweenFire Emblem Three Housesandthe recentFire Emblem Engage. The popular strategy RPG franchise has become one of Nintendo’s most iconic ongoing series with releases typically serving as some of the biggest new games. Recently, the franchise welcomed its newest main-series entry with the release ofFire Emblem Engage. Now, leaks may suggest there was initially another game planned.Engage’s release comes three-and-a-half years after theFire Emblemfranchise welcomed its first main-series entry on Switch withFire Emblem Three Houses. The previous game, set in the war-torn continent of Fodlan, quickly saw huge success as it became the fastest-selling game inFire Emblemhistory. The franchise would also release multiple spinoffs on Switch between twoFire Emblem Warriorsspinoffs with Koei Tecmo and a limited time re-release ofFire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light. However, Intelligent Systems reportedly had anotherFire Emblemgame in the works.RELATED:Fire Emblem Engage Manga Release Date RevealedA recent leak of theFire Emblemfranchise’s internal codenames suggests another planned titlebetweenEngageandThree Housesmay have been in development. Within Intelligent Systems' database,Fire Emblem Three Housesis referred to by the codename “Iron17” whileEngageis referred to as “Iron19.” Fans are speculating that the mysteriously absent “Iron18” codename may have been associated with anotherFire Emblemgame, planned to release between the two. Neither Intelligent Systems nor Nintendo have referenced anotherFire Emblemgame planned beforeEngage.

Fans were quick to point out that there was, in fact, anotherFire Emblemtitle released in betweenThree HousesandEngage. Last June saw the release ofFire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, a newWarriorsspinoff set in an alternate version ofThree Houses. However, the fan who discovered the missing Iron18 was quick to note that the Iron codenames were only used when referring to mainlineFire Emblemgames.Three Hopes, as a spinoff developed by Koei Tecmo, would not have received an Iron codename like the main-series titles.

While no official information has been given about a scrappedFire Emblemgame,Fire Emblem Engagehas seen fairly positive receptionfrom fans and critics. Scores have trended lower than its predecessor inFire Emblem Three Houses, but early reviews have praised the game for improvements to its strategic elements and gameplay. The game’s main cast of characters has also been popular among fans despite criticisms againstEngage’s weak plot and social mechanics. While fans may never know more about the scrappedFire Emblemgame,Engagehas proven to be another solid addition to the series.