Earlier this year, Team Ninja debuted the first look at a Nioh 3, the latest game in the action-RPG series. Players will assume control of a fictionalized version of Japan’s first shogun, Tokugawa Takechiyo, as he rises to power by taking on supernatural threats. In a departure for the series, Tokugawa can switch back and forth between samurai and ninja fighting styles. Now, Team Ninja has explained how its Ninja Gaiden games inspired this shift in Nioh 3’s gameplay.
“We wanted to create a new kind of action that would act as a major centerpiece, making players feel that the game has taken a step forward,” said Nioh 3 general producer Fumihiko Yasuda during an interview with IGN. “Team Ninja also has the experience of creating the Ninja Gaiden series. In other words, we have just about as much experience and knowhow when it comes to creating ninja action as we do with Nioh’s samurai action. Ninja are very popular overseas, and we thought that this would excite those players as well. Nioh’s Japanese world and setting is also something we value, which made ninja seem like the best possible answer.”
Yasuda noted that previous Nioh games have already referenced the Ninja Gaiden games in the DLC, but added that Team Ninja is looking “into creating the sort of action that fans of both series will enjoy.”
Players will can favor one fighting style over another, although there will be key differences between them. Samurai style will allow players to use Ki Pulse after attacking to recover their stamina. However, that ability won’t be available to players using ninja style. Instead, ninja style players can use the mist ability to temporarily create a duplicate of themselves to better strike at their enemies.
Nioh 3 is currently expected to hit PlayStation 5 and PC in early 2026. In the meantime, Team Ninja’s next game, Ninja Gaiden 4, is coming on October 21 for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC. That sequel was also co-developed by Platinum Games.
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