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“Ninja Gaiden 4” And “Ninja Gaiden II Black” Revealed At The Xbox Developer Direct

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It’s a great time to be a Ninja Gaiden fan! Last month, we saw the reveal of “Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound” at the Game Awards, featuring a return to the franchise’s “2D” platforming roots, last seen on the original Nintendo in the early 90’s. And now yesterday, as part of January’s Xbox Developer Direct Showcase, we have news on further “Ninja Gaiden” projects that have been in development.

First up, developer “Team Ninja” revealed they’re working with PlatinumGames on a 4th game in the main Ninja Gaiden game series (the “3rd person hack and slash” version that started in 2004). The new entry supposedly serves as a direct sequel the events of the last game (2012’s “Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge”), however the game will feature a new ninja hero named “Yakumo”. The main protagonist of the prior games, Ryu Hayabusa, is still seen to be a part of the game (as revealed in the trailer), but whether Ryu is a playable character in the new game remains unrevealed.

Here’s the trailer for Ninja Gaiden 4:

Meanwhile, publisher Koei Tecmo also revealed they’ve been working on a remastered version of “Ninja Gaiden II” – and it’s out now! Originally released in 2008, the remastered version is now called “Ninja Gaiden II Black”, in fitting with the tradition of the original “Ninja Gaiden Black” (which was a 2005 revised/enhanced version of the first 3D Ninja Gaiden game from 2004).

Back in 2008, “Ninja Gaiden II” was notorious for it’s excessive violence and gore, preventing it from being released in some countries. A revised “toned-down” version of the game was released in 2009, titled “Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2”). Koei Tecmo has revealed the remastered version released today has a feature allowing you to toggle to a less “dismemberment heavy” version of the game.

Here’s the trailer:

The reveal of “Team Ninja” being a part of the Developer Direct Showcase was a surprise for viewers. The games are timed to coincide with this being the 30th anniversary of the formation of Team Ninja’s studio. We knew in advance that the Xbox Showcase would feature updates on previously announced games, including “South of Midnight”, “Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and “Doom: the Dark Ages”, all of which were confirmed as releasing in 2025, but the addition of Team Ninja was unexpected, but a delight for longtime fans of the franchise.

“Ninja Gaiden II Black” is available now as part of Xbox Game Pass (on Xbox Series X and S, or on PC), and the upcoming “Ninja Gaiden 4” will likewise be available on Game Pass, with a reveal date of “Fall 2025”. To the delight of PlayStation fans, both games were also revealed as coming to the PlayStation 5 (meaning the games aren’t “Xbox Exclusive”, but still will feature prominently in Xbox branding for 2025).

Stay tuned for any further “Ninja Gaiden” news in the weeks and months ahead.

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