Ninja Gaiden 4 has officially been announced and will release later this year – find out more below.
During Microsoft’s Developer Direct 2025 showcase on Thursday (January 23), publisher Koei Tecmo and developers Team Ninja and PlatinumGames officially unveiled the long-awaited and highly anticipated Ninja Gaiden 4.
The game’s reveal comes over a decade after 2012’s Ninja Gaiden 3. Ninja Gaiden 4 is due for release sometime in the fall, though a confirmed release date has yet to be announced. It will release on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
Ninja Gaiden 4‘s story will take place after the events of Ninja Gaiden 3, and will follow a new protagonist Yakumo, a young member of the Raven clan. However, franchise protagonist Ryu Hayabusa will also return in the upcoming game in a “significant” role, as the trailer depicts Yakumo telling Ryu to “back off” so he can complete his mission. Ryu has also been confirmed as a playable character.
PlatinumGames’ Yuji Nakao said of Ninja Gaiden 4‘s narrative to Xbox Wire: “One of the key themes of this story is the return of the Dark Dragon, which has plunged the city into chaos. Within these unsettling conditions, Yakumo will have to face off against his foes, as well as the formidable Master Ninja himself, Ryu Hayabusa.”
On the topic of why a new protagonist is being introduced, Nakao said: “Since it’s been a while since the last game, we wanted a new hero to make the series more approachable for new players. Of course, we also wanted long-time fans to enjoy the game, so Ryu Hayabusa plays a significant role in the story, serving as a major challenge and growth milestone for Yakumo. Ryu will appear throughout the game and be playable, ensuring his prowess and presence is deeply felt in Ninja Gaiden 4.”
However, Ninja Gaiden 4 wasn’t Team Ninja’s only surprise, as the developers have announced that a new remastered and definitive version of Ninja Gaiden 2, now dubbed Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, is now available on PC, Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
In a three-star review of 2021’s Ninja Gaiden Master Collection, Jon Bailes wrote for NME: “Master Collection is a three-game tour through a classic series where one game feels dated, another feels compromised and the third wasn’t much good to begin with. Not ideal. And certainly, if you’re an Xbox owner, you may consider playing the first two games in non-Sigma form via enhanced backwards compatibility instead.”
“Yet I had some fine times slicing my way through the series again. Especially since – as you’d expect – all three games run very smoothly, with minimal loading times. And even the first hasn’t aged badly in visual terms, due to a clean-textured style that scales neatly into HD. Most of all, the visceral combat when they deliver is still as masterful as it gets. Nothing else makes it feel so good to be a ninja.”
The post ‘Ninja Gaiden 4’ officially announced, will release in 2025 appeared first on NME.