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Ninja Gaiden 4

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Ninja Gaiden 4
Developer(s)
Publisher(s)Xbox Game Studios
Director(s)
  • Masakazu Hirayama
  • Yuji Nakao
Producer(s)
  • Fumihiko Yasuda
  • Yuji Nakao
Artist(s)Tomoko Nishii
SeriesNinja Gaiden
Platform(s)
ReleaseQ3/Q4 2025
Genre(s)Action-adventure, hack and slash
Mode(s)Single-player

Ninja Gaiden 4 is an upcoming action-adventure game co-developed by Team Ninja and PlatinumGames and published by Xbox Game Studios. It is the first mainline title in Koei Tecmo's Ninja Gaiden series in over 13 years, and the direct sequel to Ninja Gaiden 3 (2012). The game primarily follows a new character named Yakumo, though series' protagonist Ryu Hayabusa is also playable and has a significant role in the story. Ninja Gaiden 4 is set to be released worldwide for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S in late 2025.

Overview

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Ninja Gaiden 4 takes place a "significant amount of time" after Ninja Gaiden 3 in a near-future Tokyo, that was plunged into chaos by the return of the Dark Dragon, a malevolent entity behind the Dark Dragon Blade from Ninja Gaiden (2004), and main antagonist of Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword (2008). Under the influence of the Underworld, the city takes on a rainy cyberpunk-like aesthetic. According to the director, these unsettling conditions add to the game' core themes and the key concept of "adversity".[1]

A new protagonist, young ninja Yakumo, was introduced to make the game more approachable to new players. He fights using "Bloodraven Form", a technique that manipulates his blood and blood of the enemies to create powerful weapons that strike down many foes at once. The veteran Ryu Hayabusa serves as a "major challenge and growth milestone" for Yakumo, while also being playable throughout the story, utilizing similar moveset and tools to his earlier appearances. In addition, some of the series' signature moves, such as Izuna Drop and Flying Swallow, are available to both characters.[1]

Development

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The series developer, Team Ninja, wanted to bring Ninja Gaiden back amidst the growing gap since the last mainline installment and fan requests. As a result of a close relationship between the president of Koei Tecmo, Hisashi Koinuma, and the CEO of PlatinumGames, Atsushi Inaba, the two companies began exploring collaboration possibilities. With the support from Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming, they started work on a brand new Ninja Gaiden title.[2]

The game was produced by the head of Team Ninja and co-director of Ninja Gaiden 3, Fumihiko Yasuda, and PlatinumGames' Yuji Nakao. Nakao also directed the title together with Team Ninja's Masakazu Hirayama.[2] Xbox Game Studios entered a partnership with Koei Tecmo, the owner of Ninja Gaiden IP, to publish the game worldwide. The company previously released Ninja Gaiden II (2008) for Xbox 360 and worked with PlatinumGames on the cancelled action role-playing game Scalebound.[3]

Release

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Ninja Gaiden 4 was announced alongside Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, a remaster of Ninja Gaiden II, during the Xbox Developer Direct video presentation on January 23, 2025.[4] It is scheduled to release in Q3/Q4 2025 for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S, and will be included with the Xbox Game Pass subscription from day one.[5]

References

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  1. ^ a b Romano, Sal (January 23, 2025). "NINJA GAIDEN 4 announced for PS5, Xbox Series, and PC". Gematsu. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
  2. ^ a b Yamaguchi, Sebastian (January 23, 2025). "The "Year of the Ninja" Commences: NINJA GAIDEN 4 Is Coming, and NINJA GAIDEN 2 Black Is Out Today". Xbox Wire. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
  3. ^ Yin-Poole, Wesley (January 23, 2025). "Ninja Gaiden 2 Black Announced — and It's Out Now". IGN. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
  4. ^ Phillips, Tom (January 23, 2025). "Ninja Gaiden 4 announced, from Team Ninja and PlatinumGames". Eurogamer. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
  5. ^ Yin-Poole, Wesley (January 23, 2025). "Ninja Gaiden 4 Announced at Microsoft's Xbox Developer Direct 2025". IGN. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
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