Image: Koei Tacmo Games
Ninja Gaiden 4 and Ninja Gaiden 2 Black - both in the same year!
This week's Xbox Developer Direct had a shocking reveal: the action game franchise Ninja Gaiden is making its grand return this year. Nioh developer Team Ninja and Bayonetta developer Platinum Games are pairing up to make Ninja Gaiden 4, the first mainline entry in the series in 13 whole years.
That's not all, though; publisher Koei Tacmo Games also announced, and subsequently released, Ninja Gaiden 2 Black today.
Ninja Gaiden 4 announced for 2025 launch
Ninja Gaiden is officially back. Game developers Team Ninja and PlatinumGames have unveiled Ninja Gaiden 4, which is set to launch on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC this autumn. The game will be a fully canonically sequel to Ninja Gaiden 3, but it will feature an all-new protagonist named Yakumo.
Presumably, Yakumo’s addition is meant to facilitate the series’ time skip and welcome new players into the fray, with a neon-lit cyberpunk take on Tokyo, Japan serving as the game’s setting. However, that doesn't mean that the series’ original protagonist Ryu Hayabusa is gone for good. He's very much back, and it appears that both him and Yakumo will be the game's dual protagonists.
Koei Tacmo Games has also launched Ninja Gaiden 2 Black this week, allowing players to rediscover a classic game in the series with crisp modern visuals. This game does feature Ryu in a starring role, with stages, characters, effects, and lighting that have been remastered using Unreal Engine 5 for a modern-day coat of paint. The game is now available on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and Windows PC. It's also available on Xbox Game Pass.
A 2D Ninja Gaiden game called Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound was also announced for a Summer 2025 launch.
