Digimon Survive is set to release at some point in 2021 according to multiple delays in the last couple of years. Though not much has been learned since the game was delayed in October of 2020, with October 2021 fast approaching, Digimon Survive could very well be delayed once more. Bandai Namco did not reveal anything pertaining to Digimon Survive during E3 2021, forcing many fans to worry about maintaining a release window of 2021. Though with the Covid-19 pandemic delaying many works of media in the last year and a half, it's no surprise some projects might still be left on hold.
While fans wait for more news regarding Digimon Survive, it is still fun to speculate on what could be when it comes to this new type of Digimon game. The Digimon Story games revolve around telling a story within this large Digimon universe, while the Digimon World series focuses more on the bond between the player and their partners as they grow. Digimon Survive promises to bring a new flavor to this group by changing the narrative to a more grounded nature with a beautifully rendered visual novel style and a tactical battle system for its conflicts. As the game promises a darker tone than any other game in the franchise previously, fans try to speculate who the big bad Digimon will be.
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Digimon Survive boasts that it will feature a darker storyline than any Digimon game in the past. As the game will feature player choice that will change the course of the story and the characters, one outcome could see the death of one or more of the other characters the player travels with. Though it's easy to imagine a large powerful Digimon that outright decimates a character through brute force, another option could see a bad Digimon convince a character to turn evil. This has happened on more than one occasion in the anime, and so it could certainly happen in Digimon Survive.
Myotismon is one of the more iconic Digimon in the entire franchise and has made various appearances in different forms throughout the series. His menacing laugh and evil nature would make him a perfect fit for Digimon Survive. Not only are Myotismon's forms powerful, but he is also quite cunning and speaks very well making him a strong contender to at least make an appearance in Digimon Survive's narrative.
Beelzemon is another fan-favorite Digimon villain. Originally Impmon in Digimon Tamers, he eventually makes a deal and Digivolves into his mega form Beelzemon, later causing a character's Digimon partner dies permanently. The death of a main character's Digimon in the past was usually brought back due to how Digimon data work, however, thanks to Beelzemon absorbing the data from this character's partner after defeating it, it was never brought back. This was the darkest hour in Digimon at the time and Beelzemon would make a great addition to Digimon Survive as a villain in one form or another.
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Though the Digimon Emperor ended up turning good, there are countless possibilities for where a Human antagonist could go if they had the power that the Digimon Emperor had. In Digimon Adventure 02, the Digimon Emperor used Control Spires and Dark Rings to control an armada of Digimon to do his bidding. He even went so far as to create a Digimon through an amalgamation of Digimon parts called Kimeramon to wreak havoc in the Digital World. The Digimon Emperor was the secret identity to someone who would later become a major main character, making for an interesting possibility.
Though the Digimon Emperor himself would be unlikely to make an appearance in Digimon Survive, a human antagonist isn't out of the norm in the Digimon franchise. Because a character's choices are heavily emphasized in Digimon Survive, a human character as the bad guy would be an interesting twist if done right. The bond between a person and their Digimon is usually quite strong, but the emotional impact of a bond between two close characters becoming rocky would add an intricate layer to the overall story. It would be a bonus if this villain donned a matching cape and sunglasses.
Continuing the trend of non-Digimon antagonists, the D-Reaper was another very interesting antagonist which sought to destroy everything in the Digital World and the Real World in Digimon Tamers. Though not a Digimon, it was a computer program developed by the United States Department of Defense to combat a Creeper Virus in the 1970s. Originally the D-Reaper was left dormant in the deepest recesses of the Digital World, it eventually awakens and makes its way to the Real World. The D-Reaper would instantly absorb and disintegrate anything made of data upon contact, such as Digimon and the Digital World, allowing it to grow quickly.
In the Real World, the D-Reaper moves and grows slower as it cannot absorb real material as quickly due to it not being data. Being a computer anti-virus program gone rogue, this concept could very well work in the context of Digimon Survive if done correctly. Much like other mysterious entities in the Digimon series such as the Dark Ocean and the World of Dreams, the D-Reaper in some form could make for a very interesting ultimate villain that would require the efforts of all the characters who are left to band together. Though fans can only speculate on who the big bad for Digimon Survive could be, there will hopefully be more news regarding this new entry as it is now over halfway through 2021 with no new information.
Digimon Survive is currently in development for PC, PlayStation 4, Switch, and Xbox One.
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