| Xenoblade Chronicles X | |
|---|---|
 International cover art | |
| Developer(s) | Monolith Soft[a] |
| Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
| Director(s) |
|
| Producer(s) |
|
| Designer(s) | Koh Kojima |
| Programmer(s) | Toshiaki Yajima |
| Artist(s) |
|
| Writer(s) |
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| Composer(s) | Hiroyuki Sawano |
| Series | Xenoblade Chronicles |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release | Wii UNintendo Switch
|
| Genre(s) | Action role-playing |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Xenoblade Chronicles X[b] is a 2015 action role-playing game developed by Monolith Soft and published by Nintendo for the Wii U. The game is part of the Xenoblade Chronicles series, itself forming part of the wider Xeno metaseries. An expanded remaster, Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition, will be released in 2025 for the Nintendo Switch.
Carrying over several gameplay elements from the original game, players explore the open world planet Mira, completing a variety of quests and unlocking new regions to explore and gather resources from across its five continents. The story follows a surviving human ship after escaping an alien battle which destroys Earth, with the player character joining the BLADE unit to defend the human survivors and uncover Mira's secrets.
Production began in 2010 after work finished on Xenoblade Chronicles. Returning staff included series creator Tetsuya Takahashi as executive director and co-writer, director and designer Koh Kojima, and co-writer Yuichiro Takeda. Xenosaga artists Kunihiko Tanaka and Kouichi Mugitani contributed to the art and character design. The team set themselves the challenge of creating an expansive world for players to explore despite a tight development budget. The implementation of online multiplayer both proved challenging due to the team's inexperience, and required a comprehensive story rewrite to recast the protagonist as a player-created avatar. The music was created by anime composer Hiroyuki Sawano.
The game was first announced in 2013 under the working title "X", set for a release date the following year, but was later delayed to 2015. The game's localization was handled by Nintendo Treehouse and 8-4, undergoing changes for its Western release. Upon release, Xenoblade Chronicles X was praised for its combat and world design, but saw criticism for its narrative and lack of explanation for its systems. Journalists have also ranked it among the best releases on the Wii U. The game engine and foundation work of Xenoblade Chronicles X was used in the team's next Xeno game, Xenoblade Chronicles 2.
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