Team Ninja unveils Nioh 3 with immediate demo release
Team Ninja has officially announced Nioh 3, the latest installment in its soulslike series set in Japan’s Sengoku period.
The reveal took place during tonight’s PlayStation State of Play event, accompanied by the immediate release of a playable demo. The full game is slated for release on PlayStation 5 in 2026.
Nioh is recognized for its challenging combat and historical Japanese setting, building upon the foundation laid by previous entries and other Team Ninja titles such as Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty and Rise of the Ronin. This new iteration aims to evolve the series while retaining its core identity.
Nioh 3 will introduce players to a new protagonist, a young warrior poised to become the next Shogun.
While the specifics of Tokugawa Takechiyo’s conflict with yokai are being kept under wraps for now, Team Ninja revealed that players will engage in battles using two distinct combat styles: Samurai and Ninja.
- The Samurai style offers a gameplay experience akin to previous Nioh titles, but with enhancements such as Arts Proficiency, boosting martial arts power, and Deflect, enabling last-moment parries. These additions are designed to facilitate intense, close-quarters confrontations.
- The Ninja style, conversely, emphasizes swiftness and evasive maneuvers. It incorporates aerial actions and a variety of “Ninjitsu” techniques, allowing players to attack from a distance or outmaneuver enemies. Techniques like Mist, which leaves a clone after an attack, and Evade, for narrowly avoiding strikes, provide opportunities for quick flanking attacks.
Players can switch between these combat styles instantly at any point, choosing to specialize in one or seamlessly combine both based on enemy tendencies and environmental challenges.
Beyond the refined combat, Nioh 3 will introduce an open field design, a departure from the more structured levels of previous entries.
This new freedom of exploration is intended to enhance the series’ signature tension and confrontations.
Players will encounter yokai in unexpected ways, explore suspicious villages filled with secrets, and face the daunting trials of “The Crucible” within these “thrilling, hostile new environments.”
The currently available demo not only offers a first look at the game’s development but also features the return of the well-received character creation system from the previous title. Though still in development for the demo, it allows players to begin customizing their heroes.
Team Ninja is actively seeking player feedback on the new battle styles, the open field, and any suggestions for improvement via a survey on the official website.
The developer emphasized their commitment to incorporating player input as they continue to refine what they describe as their “biggest and boldest Nioh yet.”
Other games announced as part of the State of Play event included a new game from Suda 51 named ‘Romeo is a Dead Man’, Capcom’s Pragmata, a Final Fantasy Tactics remaster and a Marvel themed 4v4 tag team fighter.
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