Ninja Gaiden 4 Reveals Ryu's Return After 10 Years

After over a decade, Team Ninja has announced Ninja Gaiden 4 will arrive in Fall 2025. The title, created in collaboration between Team Ninja and Platinum Games, revisits the developer's iconic action series with a new take on combat and platforming, and planty of fast-paced action. Players will get to fight and platform their way through the first main entry in the series since 2012's Ninja Gaiden.

Ninja Gaiden 4 was announced during the Xbox Developer Direct, where gameplay footage and developer interviews revealed more details about what to expect when the title arrives on the Xbox, PC, and PS5. The new game in the franchise, created in collaboration between Team Ninja and Platinum Games, revisits the developer's iconic action series, and will include the previous games' iconic protagonist Ryu Hayabusa in a new role.

Ninja Gaiden 4 Will Feature A New Protagonist

Ryu Hayabusa Will Still Play A "Pivotal Role"

Set in the neon-lit streets of Tokyo, Ninja Gaiden 4 will follow Yakumo, a young member of the Raven clan, as he embarks on a mission to defeat the Dark Dragon, whose dark powers still hold the world in its clutches. Yakumo brings a new perspective to the title, as his clan are rivals of the Hayabusa clan and he appears to have a personal grudge against Ryu Hayabusa himself. The trailer reveals a glimpst of a battle between the two ninjas, as Yakuma tella Ryu to back off so he can finish his mission.

The game will be set in the aftermath of Ninja Gaiden 3, in a world ravaged by eternal rain and darkness. Although he's not the game's protagonist, Ryu Hayabusa will play a "pivotal role in the story," according to Fumihiko Yasuda, the Producer and had of Team Ninja. As the game progresses, the new protagonist and the legendary ninja will clash, slowly revealing Ryu's motivation.

Our Take: Ninja Gaiden 4 Takes Some Bold New Steps

The Series' Protagonist And Developer Shifts Signal A New Era

The new title changes many aspects of the Ninja Gaiden series, and turning the long-time protagonist into a potential adversary is a bold move on Team Ninja's part. In another series first, Team Ninja is collaborating with Platinum Games in developing the title. Platinum Games are no strangers to action and lore, having worked on the Bayonetta games and Nier: Automata. The bold changes show how much the title has moved on in the past 10 years, ushering in a new era for the game franchise.

Fans of the series will be glad to know that these changes won't take the game too far from its origins, though. Platinum Games' Level Design and Environment Lead Yudai Abe assures fans that the game will still feel like a Ninja Gaiden game. "We are preserving the dark, hardcore atmosphere of the series," says Abe, promising a world that's full of danger "at every turn."

Ninja Gaiden 4will release on Xbox, PC, and PS5 in Fall 2025. A remake of Ninja Gaiden 2 as well as a spinoff title Ninja Gaiden Radebound are also currently in development as Team Ninja kicks off "Year Of The Ninja."

Source: Xbox/YouTube (1, 2)

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Ninja Gaiden

Action

Platformer

Systems

Released: March, 1989

Developer(s): Tecmo, Hudson Soft
Publisher(s): Tecmo, Hudson Soft
Franchise: Ninja Gaiden
Platform(s): Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo 3DS, PC, SNES, TurboGrafx-16, Wii, Nintendo Wii U, Switch