Ninja Gaiden 4 On Xbox Talks Started "Six or Seven Years Ago"

Summary

KOEI Tecmo unveiled Ninja Gaiden 4 co-developed by Team Ninja and PlatinumGames, with Xbox Game Studios publishing.
Phil Spencer revealed Xbox worked on the deal for over 6 years before announcement at Xbox Developer Direct show.
Ninja Gaiden 4 is set to release in Fall 2025, featuring new protagonist Yakumo and legendary Ryu Hayabusa, and invoking franchise nostalgia.

Just a few days ago at Microsoft’s Xbox Developer Direct show, KOEI Tecmo unveiled Ninja Gaiden 4, which is being co-developed by Team Ninja and PlatinumGames. If that wasn’t surprising enough, the fact that Xbox Game Studios is doing the publishing duties, surely caught people off-guard.

While the announcement happened this January, KOEI Tecmo also announced the release window, which is Fall 2025.

Rumor: Crash Bandicoot 4 & NFL 25 To Join Xbox Game Pass This Month

With February approaching, we already have rumors of which games are coming next on Xbox Game Pass.

Phil Spencer Has Been Working On The Ninja Gaiden 4 Deal For Years

In a new chat with GamerTag Radio (via WindowsCentral), Xbox division boss Phil Spencer revealed that they have been in talks regarding a new Ninja Gaiden game for over half a decade. Spencer said the team “knocked on some doors and said ‘What if?’ six or seven years ago,” and it took some time before everything came together to make this happen.

Spencer added, “I feel great about our relationships with the publishers in Japan,” and mentioned how it has taken a lot of “listening” from them to have a healthy relationship with Japanese game companies.

It seems to have paid off, as who’d have thought Microsoft would be the one publishing Ninja Gaiden 4, right? It’s one thing to have the game appear on Xbox platforms, but for Xbox to publish it? That’s not something you see everyday.

Resident Evil 6 Rated for Xbox Series X|S

The most controversial Resident Evil game appears to be coming to modern consoles.

While Ninja Gaiden might not have been a household name before, it’s still one of the most revered action franchises, given its brutal difficulty, steep learning curve, and non-stop action. The last Ninja Gaiden game was 12 years ago with Ninja Gaiden 3, and since then, the franchise has remained dormant.

Ninja Gaiden 4 is a direct sequel to its predecessor and features a new protagonist in Yakumo. For franchise fans, don’t fret, as Ryu Hayabusa will still be playable and should have a significant role in the upcoming sequel.

The game’s description reads, “Epic Hack and Slash Combat, Evolved: NINJA GAIDEN 4 fuses Team NINJA’s tempered combat philosophy with the stylish, dynamic action gameplay of PlatinumGames. Engage in visually stunning combat that rewards precision and strategy. Use Bloodbind Ninjutsu to transform your weapons and unleash devastation upon your enemies, alongside legacy techniques like the Izuna Drop and Flying Swallow. The legendary Ryu Hayabusa also returns with a revamped yet familiar set of tools to master. With a customizable player experience, NINJA GAIDEN 4 will push action game veterans to their limits while allowing newcomers to enjoy a heart-pounding adventure full of twists and turns.”

Ninja Gaiden 4 will be released in Fall 2025 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.