A new mainline Ninja Gaiden game is on the horizon after over a decade away, and long-time fans already want to know about Ninja Gaiden 4’s platforms, expected release window, and more.
The Ninja Gaiden series has been around for quite a while and has seen much change from where it first began. While the original Ninja Gaiden title was a 2D action-platform game best remembered from the NES, the series saw a reboot in 2004 with that year’s Ninja Gaiden title, a third-person action game known for it high difficulty. The modern Ninja Gaiden series saw three numbered mainline games before going dormant once again.
Ninja Gaiden 3 came out in 2012, after which fans got the Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection nearly a decade later to replay all three mainline games on modern platforms. Now, four years later, Ninja Gaiden 4 has finally been announced and it seems to be bringing the series to the modern day with a new protagonist.
While Ninja Gaiden 4 is a direct sequel to Ninja Gaiden 3, PlatinumGames is co-developing this new title alongside Team Ninja.
All three games in the modern Ninja Gaiden trilogy were developed exclusively by Team Ninja, the studio behind Nioh and Rise of the Ronin. While Team Ninja is returning for Ninja Gaiden 4, it isn’t alone in the endeavor. Alongside it is PlatinumGames, the studio that developed such popular games as like Nier Automata and Metal Gear: Revengeance.
NINJA GAIDEN 4 Official Announce Trailer | Developer_Direct 2025
According to the Ninja Gaiden 4 reveal trailer, the game is a direct continuation of Ninja Gaiden 3. The story revolves around the Dark Dragon, an entity defeated by the series’ primary protagonist, Ryu Hayubasa, in 2008’s Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword. Dragon Sword is a lesser-known Nintendo DS exclusive that wasn’t part of Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection.
While Ryu is returning in the new game to combat the power behind the Dark Dragon’s husk with the iconic Dragon Sword, he isn’t alone. A new protagonist named Yakumo will also be playable in the upcoming game. Not much is known about the new character, but the trailer gives some hints. Yakumo is a master ninja and seems to utilize some sort of blood magic. Additionally, he’s at odds with Ryu, suggesting the two may have a similar relationship to dueling protagonists Dante and Nero in the Devil May Cry series.
Ninja Gaiden 4 is slated to be coming out during a release window of Fall 2025, though there’s no exact release date yet established.
While the game was revealed during the January 23, 2025 Xbox Developer Direct, it won’t be an Xbox exclusive. Ninja Gaiden 4 will be playable on Xbox Series S/X, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam.
The game is to be published by Xbox Game Studios. With this in mind, Ninja Gaiden 4 will come to Game Pass as a day-one title. Players can play Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, an Unreal Engine 5 remake of the 2008 original Ninja Gaiden 2, on Game Pass while they wait for the new game to arrive later on this year.
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