Attack on Titan 3 Story and Campaign

The core pitch: one complete arc

The official description of Attack on Titan 3 is direct: it is an action game that covers the story of Attack on Titan from the beginning to its climax — the culmination of the series. Where previous games covered a contained chapter of the narrative, A.O.T. 3 spans the whole conflict in a single playable package: the fall of Wall Maria, the training of the 104th, the shifter revelations, and the confrontations that close the story.

Your place in the story

You join the story as a new protagonist — a custom soldier you create — and decide the fate of the world alongside an iconic cast. Director Hayato Iwata says this hero is older than the previous game’s protagonist, belongs to a generation closer to Levi and Hange, leads a squad and has a mechanical-engineering background.

This makes the story campaign the backbone of everything else on the site. Your character customization choices (see the customization guide) carry into how you experience the campaign, and the character roster defines who you fight beside and against.

How the campaign is structured

Training and the 104th

The campaign opens with the series' classic starting point: the fall of Wall Maria and the formation of the 104th Training Corps. Expect the training sequences and first expeditions that established the series' loop.

Expeditions and shifter reveals

Mid-campaign, the story's twist structure takes over — the identity of the Armored and Colossal Titans, the Female Titan's hunt, and the escalating conflicts beyond the walls. These are the set-piece beats the series is known for.

Regimental HQ and bonding

Throughout the campaign, the confirmed Regimental HQ system lets you form bonds with Scout Regiment members. Character quests include consultations, cooking, room conversations, joint Titan hunts and solving problems at headquarters. These deepen the cast’s stories; romance or dating is not confirmed.

The climax

The official copy promises the story through to its shocking finale — the confrontations that close the series. Expect the campaign's hardest battles and most cinematic moments in this final stretch.

Exterior Scouting Missions

Separate from the main story beats, the confirmed Exterior Scouting Missions let you explore outside the walls, construct supply bases, take down dangerous Titans and expand humanity's domain. These add a loop of optional, repeatable content alongside the narrative campaign.

How long is the campaign?

Development producer Hideo Suzuki estimates approximately 30–40 hours for a playthrough focused solely on clearing the main story. Side-content and completionist time remain TBD. See the game length page for the full breakdown and comparison with previous entries.

Can you save characters who die in the story?

Canon story rescues remain unconfirmed. Players are actively asking whether A.O.T. 3 will repeat A.O.T. 2’s approach of replaying missions to rescue named characters, or allow different outcomes during the first playthrough. A September 2 Reddit discussion about rescuing dead allies drew multiple requests for branching survival outcomes.

The TGS interview confirms a different system: game-original members recruited into your Scout Mission squad can die permanently and disappear from the game. That does not prove Past Missions, alternate timelines, a canon-character rescue list or an alternate ending.

Do you need to play the earlier games first?

No. Suzuki explicitly says players do not need the previous games and that even people unfamiliar with the original manga or anime can understand the full narrative. See the dedicated A.O.T. 1 and A.O.T. 2 play-order guide for the separate save-data bonus.

What remains unconfirmed

The story scope, your role and the Regimental HQ are officially confirmed. What is not yet known: the exact mission count per arc, whether chapters are replayable individually, whether canon dead characters can be rescued, whether the ending can branch, how New Game+ works, and whether post-launch story content is planned.