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 confirmed 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 saw the announcement of Ninja Gaiden 4, along with a surprise re-release of Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, an enhanced version of the Xbox 360 classic, now available on Xbox, PS5, and PC.

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

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