Fire Emblem Engage for the Nintendo Switch is the first major release of 2023, and a big exclusive in a beloved franchise. The Fire Emblem series has been defining tactical RPG experiences on Nintendo platforms for decades, but the series blew up in a big way in recent years with popular releases like Fire Emblem: Three Houses. Engage is the next entry in the series, with a hook that pays homage to the series' long history with the addition of Emblems--heroes from other realms who serve both a gameplay and story focus.

We've played the first eight chapters of Fire Emblem Engage, and already found that it makes some significant changes from the precedent set by Three Houses, and to the series as a whole. Here are 10 of the biggest changes coming to Nintendo’s long-running tactical RPG series with some early, spoiler-free impressions sprinkled in.

1. School's Out

2019's Fire Emblem Three Houses was a huge success for Nintendo, and I'm sure there are some fans expecting the school-based structure from that game to return in Engage. While the social sim aspects are still intact, the school-based mechanics unique to Three Houses have been removed. This means you won't be choosing a house or faction at the beginning of the game, you won't be teaching a class of students (or taking any out to tea), and you won't be managing your schedule week to week.