Phil Spencer Revives Ninja Gaiden Franchise

According to Team Ninja producer Fumihiko Yasuda, the studio has long been eager 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 the idea, eventually bringing Phil Spencer into the fold. Spencer proposed a collaboration between the three companies to bring the game to life.

Phil Spencer revealed that discussions about a sequel had been ongoing since 2017, following his initial conversation with Team Ninja. After years of deliberation, they identified PlatinumGames as the perfect partner, given their expertise in crafting fast-paced action games such as Bayonetta and NieR: Automata.

Last week, Ninja Gaiden 4 was officially announced, and to the surprise of many, a re-release of Ninja Gaiden 2 Black—an enhanced version of the Xbox 360 classic—was suddenly made available on Xbox, PS5, and PC.

The first trailer showcased Ryu Hayabusa as the protagonist of this action-packed slasher. The gameplay trailer revealed several innovative 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 draw at Developer_Direct, Ninja Gaiden 4 also captured significant attention. This eagerly awaited sequel to Koei Tecmo's beloved series is set to launch in the fall of 2025.