Ninja Gaiden 4 is Officially Announced for the Fall 2025

At Xbox Developer Direct 2025, Team Ninja and PlatinumGames have officially announced that Ninja Gaiden 4 is set to release in Fall 2025.

“A significant amount of time has passed since Ninja Gaiden 3, and players will find themselves arriving in a gruesomely transformed Tokyo,” said Yuji Nakao, the game’s director and producer from PlatinumGames, during an interview with Xbox Wire. “One of the key themes of this story is the return of the Dark Dragon, which has plunged the city into chaos.”

Ninja Gaiden 4 transports players to a cyberpunk version of Tokyo ravaged by the Dark Dragon’s miasma rain. For the first time in the series, the game changes the protagonist, introducing Yakumo, a young, skilled and agile ninja of the Raven Clan. 

While Yakumo takes center stage in the story, Ryu Hayabusa, the series’ legendary Master Ninja, will also play a critical role in the narrative and will be available for piloting at some point in the game.

Described as a top-notch ninja, Yakumo brings a fresh dynamic to the series with new abilities, among them the ability to traverse at high speeds via rail and wire-based actions, that is promised to ensure seamless mobility through the city.

Another standout feature is Yakumo’s “Bloodraven Form,” a technique allowing him to weaponize blood from himself and his enemies. Players can also look forward to “Bloodbath Kill,” a powerful move that instantly bisects enemies under specific conditions.

The Ninja Gaiden 2 Black remake on Unreal Engine 5 was shadow-dropped onto Xbox Game Pass during the Xbox Developer Direct.

The Ninja Gaiden franchise, developed by Team Ninja and published by Tecmo (now Koei Tecmo), debuted in 1988 and narrated a major series plot through the original trilogy, with the last part revealed in 1991.

The initial title of the series, Ninja Gaiden told a story of Ryu Hayabusa, a young ninja who was seeking to avenge his father’s death. His journey uncovered a sinister plot involving ancient demon statues and a sorcerer named Jaquio, who was aiming to resurrect a malevolent entity.

In Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos (1990), Ryu confronted Ashtar, the mastermind behind Jaquio, who kidnaped CIA agent Irene Lew to lure Ryu into a trap.

The third part of the series, The Ancient Ship of Doom, opened up about how Ryu was framed for Irene’s murder and uncovered a conspiracy involving bio-engineered beings and interdimensional warships that led to a final battle to prevent a global catastrophe.

The 3D Revival Series expanded the story of Ryu. In Ninja Gaiden (2004), Ryu’s village was attacked, and the Dark Dragon Blade was stolen. Resurrected after a fatal encounter, Ryu embarked on a quest for vengeance. In Ninja Gaiden II (2008), Ryu battled the Greater Fiends, who aimed to resurrect the Archfiend Vazdah. In Ninja Gaiden III (2012), Ryu faced a mysterious alchemist who cursed him, leading to a personal journey of redemption and self-discovery while confronting a global terrorist threat.

Besides the Ninja Gaiden franchise, Ryu Hayabusa is also a central character in the “Dead or Alive” fighting game series.

According to the latest reports, the Ninja Gaiden series has sold over 6.8 million copies.