GameTimeline

Release & story order

Advance Wars timeline

Advance Wars from the 2001 western GBA debut through Days of Ruin (2008)—US release dates, the Orange Star vs Black Hole CO saga through Dual Strike, and FAQ for the post-apocalyptic reboot branch, Re-Boot Camp, and Famicom Wars origins.

Updated July 2026

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Release order Story order

Release order

When Nintendo shipped each western chapter—Advance Wars (2001 GBA) through Days of Ruin (2008 DS). Re-Boot Camp (2023 Switch) and Battalion Wars are FAQ-only—not extra Release rows.

  • Classic saga → Story tab: AW1 → AW2 → Dual Strike
  • Newcomers → Re-Boot Camp (2023) remakes AW1+2—FAQ
  • Days of Ruin—optional reboot—different tone
  • Battalion Wars 3D spin-offs—FAQ only
Story order tips

Classic CO saga: Advance Wars → Advance Wars 2 → Dual Strike. Days of Ruin is a separate post-apocalyptic reboot on Release order only—not on Story rows with Andy and the Black Hole arc.

  • Core canon: Advance Wars → AW2 → Dual Strike
  • AW2 continues Black Hole Rising plot from AW1
  • Dual Strike merges CO rosters—play after AW2
  • Days of Ruin not on Story order—separate timeline

Timeline

When each game was released. Click a game for platforms, dates, and where it fits in your playthrough.

Release order

  1. Advance Wars

    Advance Wars

    GBAStrategyMainline

    Orange Star vs Blue Moon—western Famicom Wars debut.

    Overview
    Intelligent Systems' turn-based tactics on GBA—CO powers and grid combat.
    In-game setting
    Story chapter one—Andy and the first Black Hole invasion.
    Should you play it?
    Japan Famicom Wars lineage—FAQ—not a separate row.
    Release date
    US GBA launch September 10, 2001.
  2. Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising

    Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising

    GBAStrategyMainline

    Sturm and the Black Hole army return.

    Overview
    GBA sequel—new COs, super powers, and harder campaign maps.
    In-game setting
    Direct Story follow-up to Advance Wars.
    Should you play it?
    Essential before Dual Strike on Story order.
    Release date
    US launch June 23, 2003.
  3. Advance Wars: Dual Strike

    Advance Wars: Dual Strike

    DSStrategyMainline

    Tag-team COs on two-screen DS warfare.

    Overview
    DS debut—dual CO tags, weather layers, and combined roster from AW1/2.
    In-game setting
    Classic saga finale on Story order.
    Should you play it?
    Play after AW2 for full Black Hole arc payoff.
    Release date
    US launch August 22, 2005.
  4. Advance Wars: Days of Ruin

    Advance Wars: Days of Ruin

    DSStrategyReboot

    Post-apocalyptic reboot—Will and new CO cast.

    Overview
    Gritty DS reboot—no tag powers, darker story, online Wi-Fi battles.
    In-game setting
    Release-only reboot—not classic Story order.
    Should you play it?
    Standalone entry—optional after trilogy.
    Release date
    US launch January 21, 2008 (Dark Conflict in EU).

FAQ

Release vs story order, reboot branch, remakes, and spin-offs.

Release order

Release order follows US launch dates: Advance Wars (2001) → AW2 (2003) → Dual Strike (2005) → Days of Ruin (2008). Story order is the classic Black Hole saga: AW1 → AW2 → Dual Strike—excluding Days of Ruin, which is a separate post-apocalyptic reboot with a new cast.

Easiest: Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp (2023 Switch) covers AW1 and AW2 with modern visuals—then play Dual Strike on DS if you want the Story finale. Full classic: GBA/DS originals in Release order. Days of Ruin anytime as a standalone reboot—different tone.

Story & canon

Days of Ruin (US) / Dark Conflict (EU) is a soft reboot—new world, COs, and mechanics without tag powers. It appears on Release order with a Reboot tag but not on Story order with Andy, Eagle, and the Dual Strike finale. Treat it as an optional side branch.

Remasters & ports

Re-Boot Camp (2023, Switch) remasters Advance Wars and Advance Wars 2—same stories, not separate Release or Story rows. Buy it instead of GBA hardware for the first two chapters in 2026. Does not include Dual Strike or Days of Ruin.

Optional & related

Famicom Wars (NES/SFC) and later Japan-only entries predated the Advance Wars western brand. Our timeline starts at the 2001 US GBA Advance Wars—earlier Japan titles are FAQ only, not Release rows.

More timelines

Other release-order and story-order guides on this site.