Phil Spencer Revives Ninja Gaiden Franchise

Team Ninja's producer, Fumihiko Yasuda, revealed that the studio has been eager to develop a new installment in the Ninja Gaiden series for some time but struggled to finalize a concept. The project gained momentum when Koei Tecmo's president, Hisashi Koinuma, and PlatinumGames' head, Atsushi Inaba, discussed the idea. Phil Spencer of Xbox then stepped in, suggesting a collaboration among the three companies to bring the game to life.

Spencer disclosed that discussions about a potential sequel started back in 2017 during his initial talks with Team Ninja. After years of deliberation, they identified PlatinumGames as the perfect partner, given their expertise in crafting fast-paced action titles like Bayonetta and NieR: Automata.

Last week, the gaming community was thrilled with the announcement of Ninja Gaiden 4. Alongside this exciting news, a remastered version of the Xbox 360 classic, Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, was unexpectedly released for Xbox, PS5, and PC.

The first trailer for Ninja Gaiden 4 showcases Ryu Hayabusa, the iconic ninja, taking center stage in this action-packed game. The gameplay trailer hints at new mechanics unique to this installment, including innovative movement through environments using wires and rails.

While DOOM: The Dark Ages captured the spotlight at Developer_Direct, Ninja Gaiden 4 also made waves as the sequel to Koei Tecmo's beloved series. Fans can mark their calendars for a fall 2025 release.