Xbox’s Longstanding Efforts to Develop Ninja Gaiden 4

About six years back, Xbox took a significant step by advocating for Ninja Gaiden 4, leading to its resurgence with efforts from Team Ninja and Platinum Games. Phil Spencer, the Xbox head honcho, recently expressed his delight over the revival of the Ninja Gaiden series. He emphasized Xbox’s ongoing collaboration with Japanese game developers. Excitingly, fans of the Ninja Gaiden saga can look forward to not just a sequel but also an intriguing spin-off scheduled for 2025, which promises to offer a variety of gameplay experiences.

In an interview on Gamertag Radio, Phil Spencer, Microsoft’s Gaming division leader, spilled the beans on the eagerly awaited Ninja Gaiden 4 project. Apparently, Xbox had been nudging this idea for quite some time—think six years ago. It’s thrilling news for long-time fans of the franchise since Ninja Gaiden 4 is the much-anticipated follow-up to 2012’s Ninja Gaiden 3, with plans to hit Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC in 2025.

After a stellar 2024 capped off with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Xbox seems committed to maintaining its momentum. During the latest Developer Direct event, fans got a glimpse of the future with a peek at the eagerly anticipated Doom: The Dark Ages and some groundbreaking Ninja Gaiden announcements. Surprise, surprise—a remaster of 2008’s Ninja Gaiden 2 was not only revealed but dropped on us out of nowhere. And that’s not all; Ninja Gaiden 4—marking the first mainline entry in over a decade—also made an appearance. Interestingly, Phil Spencer confirmed that pushing for Ninja Gaiden’s revival was an Xbox initiative from years back, underscoring the company’s long-term commitment to partnering with Japanese developers.

Spencer couldn’t hide his enthusiasm for the franchise’s resurrection, sharing how Xbox had been quietly working behind the scenes with developers like Team Ninja and Platinum Games, who bring Ninja Gaiden 4 to life. He even mentioned how the notion of Ninja Gaiden’s revival sprouted from Xbox’s “knocking on some doors” about six or seven years ago. His enthusiasm was infectious, as he labeled the unfolding scenario as “fantastic” due to the positive fan reactions to these plans that have finally come to fruition.

Through these developments, Xbox has proven its dedication to fortifying relationships with Japanese studios, which has played a crucial role in bringing Ninja Gaiden back to the limelight. Spencer shared his pride in seeing how far these partnerships have come, intending to keep moving forward in the same vein, underscoring that there’s still “more work to do” in this domain.

Fans have much to look forward to, with two Ninja Gaiden titles on the horizon for 2025. Besides the celebrated Ninja Gaiden 4, another exciting release will be Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, a spin-off game that made waves during The Game Awards 2024. This upcoming side project diverges somewhat, embracing a pixel-based retro aesthetic in contrast to the high-def visuals of the remaster and sequel.

The upcoming Ninja Gaiden 4 offers a thrilling return to the franchise’s high-speed ninja combat roots, melding Team Ninja’s combat aesthetics with PlatinumGames’ dynamic action style. Players can expect visually stunning battles that demand precision and strategy, featuring familiar moves like the Izuna Drop and Flying Swallow, alongside the innovative Bloodbind Ninjutsu. The game challenges veterans to push beyond their limits while still inviting newcomers on an exhilarating, fast-paced journey filled with strategic twists.

Within a near-futuristic Tokyo, where an ancient enemy has unleashed chaos, a young ninja prodigy named Yakumo must rise to the occasion. He faces the daunting task of overcoming cybernetic foes and otherworldly creatures, forging a connection with the legendary Ryu Hayabusa to break the grip of an ancient curse and save Tokyo from impending doom.