Ninja Gaiden 4 announced, coming to Game Pass on day one

Ninja Gaiden 4 is official, after being announced at the Xbox Developer Direct 2025. The next major installment in the iconic series is coming to a variety of platforms and has also been confirmed as a one day Xbox Game Pass release.

Team Ninja is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2025. The Koei Tecmo subsidiary recently teased big plans for its anniversary year, hinting at several new projects in the works.

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Following up on that teaser, the Japanese company has released several big announcements during the 2025 edition of the Xbox Developer Direct. Among other things, Team Ninja announced the event on January 23rd Ninja Gaiden 4which it is currently developing in partnership with PlatinumGames. The new installment in the long-running franchise is currently targeted for a fall 2025 release.

Ninja Gaiden 4 introduces a new protagonist

Ninja Gaiden Series protagonist Ryu Hayabusa is confirmed to return in the newly announced title. However, the upcoming game will have 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 are not necessarily familiar with the franchise. Even so, the game itself will serve as a direct sequel to 2013 Ninja Gaiden 3and Ryu Hayabusa is promised to play a “significant role” in his story. Ryu will also be a playable character, although the developers hinted that this may not be the case from the beginning of the game.

Ninja Gaiden 4 will introduce some new traversal mechanics, allowing players to quickly move around using wires and rails. The fight is promised to be as fast-paced and hectic as the previous entries in Ninja Gaiden series. Many older abilities will make a return and complement a host of new unique moves, Team Ninja said. In terms of difficulty, fans can expect a steep challenge on par with the rest of the franchise.

Ninja Gaiden 4 has been confirmed for 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. Considering how the upcoming action-adventure is targeting a late 2025 launch, its release date could be announced around mid-2025, perhaps as part of the next Xbox Games Showcase. In the meantime, fans can dive in Ninja Gaiden 2 Blacka new version of NG2 remastered in Unreal Engine 5. The game just shadowdropped for PC and consoles on January 23rd and can also be played via Xbox Game Pass.

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