Phil Spencer Revives Ninja Gaiden Franchise

Team Ninja producer Fumihiko Yasuda revealed that the studio has been eager to develop a new installment in the Ninja Gaiden series for quite some time. However, they struggled to settle on a compelling concept. The project gained momentum when Koei Tecmo president Hisashi Koinuma and PlatinumGames head Atsushi Inaba discussed the idea, eventually involving Phil Spencer. Spencer proposed a collaboration between the three companies to kickstart the development of the game.

Phil Spencer disclosed that discussions about a potential sequel began as early as 2017, during his initial conversations with Team Ninja. After years of deliberation, they identified PlatinumGames as the ideal partner, given their expertise in crafting fast-paced action games such as Bayonetta and NieR: Automata.

Last week, the gaming community was thrilled with the announcement of Ninja Gaiden 4. Alongside this exciting news, a re-release of Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, an enhanced version of the beloved Xbox 360 title, was unexpectedly made available on Xbox, PS5, and PC.

The first trailer for Ninja Gaiden 4 hints at Ryu Hayabusa taking the lead role in this action-packed slasher. The gameplay trailer showcases several innovative mechanics not seen in previous entries of the series, including the ability to swiftly navigate through environments using wires and rails.

While DOOM: The Dark Ages was the main highlight at Developer_Direct, Ninja Gaiden 4 also captured significant attention. This eagerly awaited sequel to Koei Tecmo's popular series is set to launch in the fall of 2025.