Surprise! Ninja Gaiden 4 Was The Mystery Game From Xbox’s Showcase
With numerous rumours abound as to who the veteran Japanese developers Xbox would be visiting during the Direct to showcase their newest game in development, it was revealed to be Team Ninja who announced Ninja Gaiden 4.
After 13 years, Ninja Gaiden returns in 2025 to call on your inner ninja.
During Xbox’s Developer Direct, which premiered this evening, we took a quick trip over to Team Ninja HQ to get a quick look at their next big title. As a pleasant surprise, it turned out to be Ninja Gaiden 4, a series that hasn’t seen a new entry in over a decade. But Team Ninja is not alone in its latest endeavour, joined by industry veterans PlatinumGames. The two studios have been collaborating for the past few years on Ninja Gaiden 4 behind the scenes. As their work nears completion, the teams have announced that we can expect Ninja Gaiden 4 in Q3 2025. Though fans of the series have undoubtedly been waiting for any scrap of news about another game in the series, few likely expected said news to be followed up with a release date of this year, so soon after the game’s announcement.
Ninja Gaiden has its own identity as evident through the numerous games in the series so far, with Team Ninja leading development since 2004. Having the expertise of PlatinumGames working alongside them will give Ninja Gaiden 4 a bit more diversity as PlatinumGames have their own unique style as seen in the Bayonetta series and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. Both developers are no strangers to fast-paced action games, and it’ll be exciting to dive in and see how the game plays as games like this often play better than they look in mere trailers or gameplay.
Developed using Unreal Engine 5, Ninja Gaiden 4 takes us to near-future Tokyo.
Team Ninja has confirmed Ninja Gaiden 4 to be a direct sequel to Ninja Gaiden 3, although it takes place a "significant amount of time" after the events of the third game. They have also confirmed that we will be strapping into the ninja-boots of new series protagonist Yakumo to help make the game more appealing for newer players. Though he seems to be a novice ninja, Yakumo utilizes a technique called Bloodraven Form that manipulates his blood and the blood of his enemies to create powerful weapons. Fans of the series’ previous protagonist, Ryu Hayabusa, needn’t worry as the developers have stated he will return in a pivotal role for the story while also functioning as a “major challenge and growth milestone” for young Yakumo, and being playable at certain points throughout the game feeling similar to his previous appearances.
Ninja Gaiden 4 is set to drop sometime later this year for PlayStation 5, PC, and Xbox Series Consoles while also being included as part of Xbox Game Pass on day one. During the Team Ninja segment, the developers also revealed the shadow drop of Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, a remaster of the original Ninja Gaiden 2, for PS5, PC, XS X|S, and Xbox Game Pass. Will you be diving in while you wait for Ninja Gaiden 4? Let us know down in the comments.
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