Does Echoes of Aincrad have a romance system? No, and there’s a good reason for it. The game only covers Aincrad’s first two floors, and the devs didn’t think dating mechanics fit a story about literally trying to survive. Producer Yosuke Futami confirmed there’s no likability system in this outing. That doesn’t mean your companions are just filler, though. Here’s why romance got cut and whether it could show up later.
What You’ll Read:
Why There’s No Romance in Echoes of Aincrad
Producer Yosuke Futami explained the reasoning directly: Echoes of Aincrad only covers Floors 1 and 2, so there isn’t enough story time for relationships to develop naturally. He explicitly said that “there isn’t enough time for relationships like that to develop.”
There’s also a tonal issue. This isn’t Kirito’s story. You’re an original character living through the actual first days of the death game, when nobody knows if they’ll survive the week. Fans on Reddit picked up on this too, noting most players would still be too busy trying to survive floors 1 and 2 to worry about dating anyone. Futami also confirmed the team skipped a dedicated “likability system” as you’d find in typical romance sims. That was a deliberate design decision, not an oversight.
What You Get Instead of Romance
Instead of a likability meter, Futami says the team focused on “digging deeper into the characters” through quests. Companion subquests reveal unexpected sides of your allies and get into their deepest worries, so you still get real character development. I experienced that as well, that you’ll get bonding moments with your companions along the way, even without any dating mechanic attached to them.
It’s less swipe-right, more found-family. You learn who these people are because the story forces you through hell with them, not because you picked the right dialogue option.
Could Romance Be Added Later?
Futami didn’t slam the door shut. His exact words: “At the moment, there isn’t a harem route. But if players want one, they can ask.” That’s about as open-ended as a producer quote gets.
Worth noting: earlier SAO games have had dating scenes, so the franchise isn’t allergic to the idea. Bandai Namco hasn’t announced anything concrete, though, and given how the team is taking their time with this story, I wouldn’t expect romance until the game moves past the earliest floors, if it ever does.
How Fans Feel About It
Reddit reaction is split hard. Some fans were straight-up relieved, calling out how tired they are of “cringe harem stuff” and glad this game skipped it. Others were not having it. One recurring request across both the Reddit and Steam threads: forget the harem, just let people romance Iori specifically.
A chunk of commenters proposed a middle ground instead, something closer to a Persona-style affinity system with unlockable gear or moves instead of full dating sim mechanics. Honestly, that compromise sounds like the direction Bandai Namco could take if they ever revisit this in a sequel.
Personally, I’m fine with skipping romance on Floors 1 and 2. Trying to flirt while everyone around you is dying feels like exactly the kind of harem-anime cringe half these commenters are trying to avoid in the first place.
What do you guys think? Should there be more Echoes of Aincrad romance? Let me know in the comments below.
