The Ninja Gaiden franchise is back thanks to Phil Spencer

According to Team Ninja producer Fumihiko Yasuda, the studio has long harbored ambitions to develop a new installment in the Ninja Gaiden series, but struggled to settle on a compelling concept. The project gained momentum when Koei Tecmo president Hisashi Koinuma and PlatinumGames head Atsushi Inaba discussed it, eventually involving Phil Spencer. Spencer proposed a collaboration among the three companies to kickstart the development.

Phil Spencer revealed that discussions about a potential sequel began as early as 2017, during initial talks 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, Ninja Gaiden 4 was officially announced, accompanied by the surprise re-release of Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, an enhanced version of the acclaimed Xbox 360 title, now available on Xbox, PS5, and PC.

The initial trailer showcases Ryu Hayabusa, the series' iconic ninja protagonist, leading the charge in this action-packed slasher. The gameplay trailer teases several innovative mechanics not seen in prior entries, including swift movement through environments using wires and rails.

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