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Professor Layton and the New World of Steam gets 2025 release window

New footage of Professor Layton and the New World of Steam debuted on Wednesday, but the Professor's return is a long way's off.

Ozzie Mejia

November 29, 2023 12:35 PM

Level 5

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Earlier this year, Level 5 revealed plans to bring Professor Layton and his sidekick Luke Triton back with an all-new game. However, few details were given on Professor Layton and the New World of Steam at the time. The puzzle is becoming a little clearer, however, after Wednesday's Level 5 Vision 2023 II online event. The Level 5 team revealed new footage of the upcoming game along with a release window. Sadly, it doesn't look like this game is around the corner.

The Level 5 Vision 2023 II trailer for Professor Layton and the New World of Steam shows the Professor and Luke in search of an inventor named Eggmuffin. They aren't directed to the nearest McDonald's, but rather to a strange-looking workshop covered in gears and doors. Players are then shown some of the series' classic puzzle gameplay, but with a slight twist. They're given a drawing interface, which will allow them to take notes and highlight visual clues.

Professor Layton and the New World of Steam was first revealed during the February 2023 Nintendo Direct with no indication of when it would release. Following today's trailer, the official Professor Layton website now points to a 2025 release window. For the moment, the website indicates a Nintendo Switch exclusive release, which makes sense given the game's interface appears to be designed for the console's Handheld Mode.

A month after the Nintendo Direct, Level 5 revealed additional details on The New World of Steam's story. It takes place a year after the events of Professor Layton and the Unwound Future. Luke did indeed depart for America, but has invited the Professor to a steam-driven city called Steam Bison where a new mystery awaits. Here, the usual dynamic will be flipped, as Steam Bison knows nothing of Professor Layton's exploits while the city has come to recognize Luke as the chief mystery solver.

We'll continue watching for the latest news from this triumphant return of Professor Layton. We'll return with any updates as they arrive.

Ozzie Mejia

Senior Editor

Ozzie has been playing video games since picking up his first NES controller at age 5. He has been into games ever since, only briefly stepping away during his college years. But he was pulled back in after spending years in QA circles for both THQ and Activision, mostly spending time helping to push forward the Guitar Hero series at its peak. Ozzie has become a big fan of platformers, puzzle games, shooters, and RPGs, just to name a few genres, but he’s also a huge sucker for anything with a good, compelling narrative behind it. Because what are video games if you can't enjoy a good story with a fresh Cherry Coke?