What do you think working on a project means? Pre-production is included. What, are working on the concepts for a new IP not the same thing as working on the new ip? lol

I hardly think 2020 is too early for any of those games given how long it's been since their predecessors and that they can reuse a lot of code and the engines from them.

Then again, I do have an inherent bias of wanting things to come sooner given my recent diagnosis, if things go badly I may not be around in 2021.

It's a new ip with new kind of gameplay, not Xenoblade gameplay. So far this is the 1st time they make game like this, they will only show it when it is ready to show

Did I say they would? lol

Although .... they could release the game before it's ready and people will just blame it on BOTW2 and not them. Worked like a charm the first time.

Not really their fault, Nintendo forced them to rush it for the holiday release. And in fact, people have a point when they blamed BOTW, 60% people of Xenoblade team had to go to help BOTW, Monolith had to outsource for XC2 a lot, they even were forced to rush the title to meet december release

I honestly don't expect them to release XC Definitive Edition + a new game in the same year.

At this point, I think the remake will be what we get from them next year, with a reveal of the new IP at E3 with a 2021 release window (hopefully the first half).

However a 2020 release would still be possible, as it would not be the first time they announced a game and released it 6 months later.  I find it less likely though.

Do we know if Monolith is handling this remaster?

They're the only known developer attached to the project at the moment.

Haven't found anything official either on the official web or the trailer.

https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/xenoblade-chronicles-definitive-edition-switch/