The Ninja Gaiden franchise is back thanks to Phil Spencer

Team Ninja's long-awaited Ninja Gaiden 4 is finally in development, thanks to a collaborative effort between Team Ninja, Koei Tecmo, and PlatinumGames. Producer Fumihiko Yasuda revealed that the studio had struggled to solidify a concept for a new installment until discussions with Koei Tecmo president Hisashi Koinuma, PlatinumGames head Atsushi Inaba, and ultimately, Xbox's Phil Spencer, led to the current three-way partnership.

Spencer confirmed that preliminary talks began as early as 2017. The collaboration with PlatinumGames, renowned for its high-octane action titles like Bayonetta and NieR: Automata, proved to be the key ingredient to finally bringing the project to fruition.

The surprise announcement last week was accompanied by an immediate re-release of Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, a remastered version of the Xbox 360 classic, now available on Xbox, PlayStation 5, and PC.

Initial trailers showcase Ryu Hayabusa as the protagonist, promising a thrilling action-slasher experience. Gameplay footage hints at innovative mechanics absent from previous entries, including dynamic traversal using wires and rails.

While DOOM: The Dark Ages dominated the Developer_Direct event, the reveal of Ninja Gaiden 4 generated significant excitement. The game is slated for release in Fall 2025.