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Sword Art Online: Integral FactorNewsThe Moment You Sync, the Battle Evolves! Introducing 《Link Skills》!
Major update

The Moment You Sync, the Battle Evolves! Introducing 《Link Skills》!

Sword Art Online: Integral Factor · published 28 Nov 2025, 10:30 UTC

All newsPlayers around this dateRead on Steam

The moment you sync, the battle evolves.
A new era of synchronization begins with 《Link Skill》!

《Link Skill》 are a new type of skill that transforms the actions of you and your allies into pure power!

A new combat skill that grows stronger in Link State

Equip a Link Sword Skill or Link Ability, then press the dedicated Link Button to activate 《Link State》.
While in Link State, performing actions in battle raises your Link Level, gradually enhancing the following abilities:
・Attack
・Defense
・Critical Rate
・Damage amount of Link Sword SkillsLink Level increases when you attack with a Link Sword Skill, use a Switch, activate party buffs, and perform other qualifying actions.
Reaching certain Link Levels will also unlock unique effects based on each Skill Record, allowing for additional enhancements tailored to your playstyle.

Greater power through teamwork

When your party members overlap states such as Awakening, Accele, Full Burst, Chain, or Link, a new state, Skill Link State, is activated.
While in this state, the power of the corresponding skills increases, and when combined with the enhanced stats of Link State, you can unleash even greater firepower.And if both you and your allies are in Link State and successfully perform a Switch using a Link Sword Skill together...
The ultimate 《Switch Link》 can be unleashed!This powerful action, unique to 《Link Skill》, occurs the moment synchronization clicks into place.

About the detailed specifications

The following section explains the full mechanics of Link Skills in detail.

About Link State

1. Activating Link State

  • By pressing the Link Button, which appears when a Link Skill is equipped, you can enter Link State.
    If Koharu or an Assisting Character also has a Link Skill equipped, they will enter Link State automatically when the player activates it.
    *If you only have Link Sword Skills equipped that do not match your current weapon type, the Link Button cannot be used.


2. Link Level and Its Effects

  • While in Link State, various effects are enhanced step by step according to your Link Level.
    *Koharu and Assist Characters each have their own individual Link Level.
    • Player Status Increases

    Status

    Increase

    Attack

    Link Level x 5

    Defense

    Link Level x 2

    Critical Rate

    Link Level x 0.2


    ・Increases the Skill Power of Link Sword Skills
    Increase Amount: Link Level x 4%
    This benefit also applies when using Link Sword Skills set inside Connect.
    *If a Link Sword Skill is included within a MOD setup, it will be treated strictly as a MOD Skill and will not gain these effects.You can check the details of each effect by pressing the Link Skill Info button in Menu > Status > Player Equipment, then opening the Link Status tab.
    ↓
    ・Individual Link Skill effects will activate at certain Link Levels
    Each Skill Record activates its own unique effect.
    For details, please refer to the description of each Skill Record.
    *“LLv” in descriptions is an abbreviation for Link Level.
    You can also check the detailed effects by pressing the Link Skill Info button in Menu > Status > Player Equipment, then opening the Equipped Link Skills tab.


3. How to Increase Link Level

  • Link Level increases through specific actions in battle, such as attacking with Link Sword Skills, performing a Switch, or using party buffs.

    Action

    Increase

    Notes

    Hitting an enemy with a Link Sword Skill

    25 + bonus based on the Link Ability’s Limit Break count

    Limit Breaks 0–4:+1
    Limit Breaks 5–9:+2
    Limit Breaks 10:+7

    Performing a Switch

    3
    +1 each time a linked ally performs a Chain

    Using a Party Buff

    Number of affected allies x 1 (including yourself)
    *Koharu excluded

    Per buff type

    Receiving a Party Buff

    Increases +1 per buff received
    *Koharu excluded

    Per buff type

    Entering any Skill Link State
    *Explained below

    25

    Only the first time for each type


    Skills that can increase your Link Level will display an icon in the manner shown below while Link Mode is active.


4. Initial Link Level and Maximum Increase

  • Link Level

    Value

    Initial Value

    1 + total Limit Breaks of all equipped Link Sword Skills and Link Abilities

    Max Increase

    125 × number of equipped Link Sword Skills and Link Abilities

    *Equipped Link Sword Skills must match your current weapon type.


5. Link State Duration

  • Base duration is 60 seconds.
    Each equipped Link Ability extends the duration by +7.5 seconds, up to a maximum of 90 seconds.
    *Koharu and Assisting Characters each have their own individual Link State duration.


6. Link State will end under the following conditions:

  • The effect duration expires

  • You change areas

  • You perform a Quick Change

  • You open the menu screen

  • Your character is defeated


7. After Link State Ends

  • After Link State ends, a cooldown is applied, during which you cannot use the Link Button.
    This cooldown continues even while logged out, and the timer will keep progressing until Link can be used again.

About Skilll Link State

When you are in Link State, you can gain additional bonuses by entering certain states together with your Link Targets.1. What Is a Link Target?

  • When you enter Link State, any party members in the same area become your Link Targets.
    If those party members also enter Link State, you become their Link Target as well.


2. About Skill Link

  • When you are in Link State and both you and your Link Target enter specific states (such as Awakening, Accele, Full Burst, Chain, or Link) you will trigger Skill Link State.
    While in this state, the power of the corresponding skills increases.
    When Skill Link State activates, a ring will appear around both characters, indicating which Skill Link State is active
    *Multiple states can be active at the same time. The ring color will change accordingly.
    In addition, the icons above the Link Button, which indicate which Skill Link states are currently active, will light up.

Both Players’ State

Name

Effect

Ring Color

Lighted Icon

Awakening State

Awakening Link

Awakening Sword Skill power increases
Increases by Link Level × 1%

Accele State

Accele Link

Power of Accele-target skills increases
(Accele Sword Skills or Sword Skills with Limit Break +10)
Increases by Link Level × 1%

Full Burst State

Full Burst Link

Power of Full Burst skills during Burst increases
(Full Burst Sword Skills or Burst Sword Skills with Limit Break +10)
Increases by Link Level × 1%

Chain State

Chain Link

Chain-target skill power increases
(Chain Sword Skills or Sword Skills with Limit Break +10)
Increases by Link Level × 1%

Link State

Link Link

Link Sword Skill power increases
Increases by Link Level × 2%


You can check the details of each effect by opening Menu > Status > Player Equipment, tapping the Link Skill Info button, and selecting the Skill Link Effects tab.
3. Cases when a Link Target is released

  • The Link Target party member leaves the party

  • The Link Target party member moves to a different area

  • The Link Target party member is defeated

  • The Link Target party member becomes incapacitated or afflicted by a movement-stopping status effect (Sleep, Petrify, Paralysis, Stun)

  • *They will become a Link Target again once the status ailment is removed.


4. Party Member Status

  • If a party member has Link Skills equipped, an icon will now appear next to their name in the party list to indicate their current state.
    Additionally, with this update, Koharu will now appear in the party list whenever she is accompanying you.

    Icon

    State

    Link Skill can be activated

    Currently in Link State (will flash)

    Skill Link State(will flash)

    Link State interrupted (due to being incapacitated or under movement-stopping status effects)

    In cooldown

    When you are in Link Mode, a ring will appear around the standard icon, displaying the status indicated by the colors above

    Hide

    No Link Skills equipped

About Switch Link

When both you and your Link Target are in Link State, using a Link Skill as Switch will trigger a Switch Link.
This delivers higher damage than a normal Switch.
Damage Increase: Skill power increases by Link Level × 1%.

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