Phil Spencer Revives Ninja Gaiden Franchise

According to Team Ninja producer Fumihiko Yasuda, the studio has been eager to develop a new installment in the Ninja Gaiden series for some time but struggled to settle on a concept. The project gained momentum when Koei Tecmo president Hisashi Koinuma and PlatinumGames head Atsushi Inaba discussed the idea. Eventually, Phil Spencer of Xbox joined the conversation, proposing a collaboration between the three companies to bring the game to life.

Phil Spencer revealed that discussions about a potential sequel began as early as 2017 during his initial talks with Team Ninja. After years of negotiations, they identified the ideal partner in PlatinumGames, known for its expertise in creating fast-paced action games such as Bayonetta and NieR: Automata.

Last week saw the announcement of Ninja Gaiden 4, and alongside it, a surprise re-release of Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, an enhanced version of the Xbox 360 classic, which is now available on Xbox, PS5, and PC.

The first trailer for Ninja Gaiden 4 highlights Ryu Hayabusa, the iconic ninja, as the protagonist in this thrilling action game. The gameplay trailer showcases several innovative mechanics unique to this installment, such as the ability to swiftly navigate through environments using wires and rails.

While DOOM: The Dark Ages was the main focus at Developer_Direct, Ninja Gaiden 4 also stole the spotlight. This eagerly anticipated sequel to Koei Tecmo's beloved series is set to launch in the fall of 2025.