The Ninja Gaiden franchise is back thanks to Phil Spencer

Team Ninja producer Fumihiko Yasuda revealed that the studio has been eager to develop a new installment in the Ninja Gaiden series for some time but struggled to settle on a concept. The project gained momentum when Koei Tecmo president Hisashi Koinuma and PlatinumGames head Atsushi Inaba discussed the idea, eventually involving Phil Spencer. Spencer proposed a collaboration between the three companies to kickstart the development of the game.

Phil Spencer confirmed that discussions about a sequel began as early as 2017, during his initial conversations with Team Ninja. After years of deliberation, they identified PlatinumGames as the ideal partner, given their expertise in crafting fast-paced action games such as Bayonetta and NieR: Automata.

Last week saw the announcement of Ninja Gaiden 4, along with 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 first trailer for Ninja Gaiden 4 showcases Ryu Hayabusa, the iconic ninja, taking the lead in this action-packed slasher. The gameplay trailer hints at new mechanics not seen in previous entries, including the ability to navigate swiftly through environments using wires and rails.

While DOOM: The Dark Ages was the main highlight at Developer_Direct, Ninja Gaiden 4, the eagerly awaited sequel to Koei Tecmo's beloved series, also made waves during the event. The game is set to launch in the fall of 2025.