Phil Spencer Revives Ninja Gaiden Franchise

Team Ninja producer Fumihiko Yasuda has revealed that the studio has been eager to develop a new entry in the Ninja Gaiden series, yet struggled with settling on a suitable concept. The project gained momentum when Koei Tecmo president Hisashi Koinuma and PlatinumGames head Atsushi Inaba began discussing it, eventually involving Phil Spencer. Spencer proposed a collaboration among the three companies to bring the game to life.

Phil Spencer disclosed that conversations about a potential sequel started back in 2017, during his initial talks with Team Ninja. After years of dialogue, they identified PlatinumGames as the ideal partner, given their expertise in developing fast-paced action games such as Bayonetta and NieR: Automata.

Last week marked the announcement of Ninja Gaiden 4, alongside 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 debut trailer hints that Ryu Hayabusa, the iconic ninja, will take the lead in this thrilling action game. The gameplay trailer showcases Ninja Gaiden 4's innovative mechanics, including the ability to navigate swiftly through environments using wires and rails, features not seen in earlier versions of the series.

While DOOM: The Dark Ages was the main draw at Developer_Direct for many gamers, Ninja Gaiden 4, the anticipated sequel to Koei Tecmo's beloved franchise, also stole the spotlight. Fans can look forward to its release in the fall of 2025.