Summary
- Ninja Gaiden 4 has been announced at the Xbox Developer Direct 2025.
- The next mainline entry in the long-running series is targeting a fall 2025 release.
- Ninja Gaiden 4 will launch on the Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC, in addition to being a day-one Xbox Game Pass Ultimate release.
Ninja Gaiden 4 is official, having just been announced at the Xbox Developer Direct 2025. The next mainline installment in the iconic series is coming to a variety of platforms and has also been confirmed as a day-one Xbox Game Pass release.
Team Ninja is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2025. The Koei Tecmo subsidiary has recently teased big plans for its anniversary year, hinting at multiple new projects being on the horizon.
The Best Ninja Gaiden Games, Ranked
From 1989's Ninja Gaiden to 2025's Ninja Gaiden 4, here are the best games in Team Ninja's legendary franchise.
Following up on that teaser, the Japanese company has dropped several big announcements during the 2025 edition of the Xbox Developer Direct. Among other things, the January 23 event saw Team Ninja announce Ninja Gaiden 4, which it's currently developing in collaboration with PlatinumGames. The new mainline installment in the long-running franchise is presently targeting a fall 2025 launch.
Ninja Gaiden 4 Introduces a New Protagonist
Ninja Gaiden series protagonist Ryu Hayabusa is confirmed to be returning in the newly announced title. However, the upcoming game will feature a different lead, Yakumo. According to PlatinumGames' producer and director Yuji Nakao, the decision to introduce a new protagonist was rooted in a desire to make Ninja Gaiden 4 more accessible to newcomers, who won't necessarily be familiar with the lore of the franchise. Even so, the game itself will serve as a direct sequel to the 2013 Ninja Gaiden 3, and Ryu Hayabusa is promised to play a "significant role" in its story. Ryu will also be a playable character, though the developers hinted this may not be the case from the very beginning of the game.
Ninja Gaiden 4 will introduce some new traversal mechanics, allowing players to quickly move around with the help of wires and rails. Combat is promised to be as fast-paced and hectic as the prior entries in the Ninja Gaiden series. Many legacy abilities will be making a return, complementing a variety of new unique movesets, Team Ninja said. In terms of difficulty, fans can expect a steep level of challenge on par with the rest of the franchise.
Ninja Gaiden 4 has been confirmed for the Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC. PC Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members will be able to play it from day one as part of their subscriptions. Given how the upcoming action adventure is targeting a late 2025 launch, its release date could be announced circa mid-2025, perhaps as part of the next Xbox Games Showcase. In the meantime, fans can dive into Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, a new version of NG2 remastered in Unreal Engine 5. The game was just shadow-dropped for PC and consoles on January 23 and can also be played via Xbox Game Pass.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is the highest tier of Microsoft's flagship game subscription service that offers over 100 game titles that you can play with a single purchase, making it one of the most outstanding value propositions of the Xbox ecosystem to date.
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info