Spanning across three seasons before concluding back in 2020, Sword Art Online is one of the most talked-about anime series. Set during the 2020s, the story follows Kazuto “Kirito” Kawahara and Asuna Yuuki as they play through a series of VRMMORPG worlds.

Based on the manga series by Reki Kawahara, the franchise has since gone on to welcome multiple spin-offs, including a film, various video game releases, and light novels.

Praised for its premise, worldbuilding, pacing, and writing, Sword Art Online has earned a dedicated legion of fans, and it is those fans who may want to keep an eye out for this upcoming release arriving this month.

Set to launch on 5 July, Sword Art Online is making a triumphant return to help celebrate its next big video game release. To help raise the word for the upcoming title, Sword Art Online: Echoes of Aincrad, a full-length anime special is set to air for a limited time. Unlike standard television specials, this is purely to help promote the brand-new video game, as opposed to having any direct correlation to the previous television show or movie.

As it will be available for a limited time, the anime special will be a bit tricky to catch. However, those who purchase the Ultimate edition of Sword Art Online: Echoes of Aincrad will be able to watch it once they get their hands on the game.

According to an announcement by Japan’s DenfamiNicoGamer, the limited-time show will air for 110-minutes, and will be titled “Unanswered//butterfly.” Produced by Polygon Pictures and set to take place in the world of Aincrad alongside an original story, the feature-length special will follow the story of Emilun and Rex, who find themselves pulled into the standard Sword Art Online-esque video game setting where the dangers in the game are reflected in the outside world.

Set to air on 5 July at 8pm Japan time, it will also be available via Abema’s Anime Special Channel on July 9 at 8 PM also. However, if you miss it, there will be no way to rewatch it anywhere as it obviously serves as a way to raise the hype for the upcoming Sword Art Online: Echoes of Aincrad.

Set to launch on 9 July, Sword Art Online: Echoes of Aincrad is an action JRPG set in the world of Aincrad, a world full of beauty and terror, and where every battle could be your last. As you create your hero, choose your gear, and master combat alongside your partner, you will soon discover that this is not a game.