Sword Art Online: Integral Factor Patch Notes: The Moment You Sync, the Battle Evolves! Introducing 《Link Skills》! (Nov 28, 2025)
GamePatchNote Digest
Sword Art Online: Integral Factor Patch Notes — November 28, 2025
Aggregated from Steam, cross-tracked with Battle.net coverage on GamePatchNote.
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 Skills Link 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
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%.
