In today’s (June 4, 2025) State of Play event, Nioh 3 was revealed and showcased by Team Ninja. The reveal was accompanied by a cinematic trailer and demo of the game available for fans to play according to the PlayStation Blog, with the full game set to release in early 2026.

The official cinematic trailer featured character designs, the concept of ‘spirit stones’, and gameplay footage showcasing the blend of mythical elements with the traditional Japanese samurai aesthetic. Nioh 3 is the latest in the sequel of the Nioh franchise’s dark samurai action RPG games. Players will also be able to earn an exclusive Helmet according to IGN by playing in a free demo of the game launched on PlayStation 5, which is only available until June 18th, allowing players a taste of the game’s mechanics and character creation system.

While gameplay experience will be similar to previous Nioh titles, new mechanics players can look forward to are the Arts Proficiency, which will allow players to enhance the power of their martial arts, and a deflect feature that will allow enemy attacks to be blocked last minute, making for a more adrenaline-packed game.

The game will also allow players to switch between the two playstyles, Ninja and Samurai, at will. Team Ninja described the two different classes in a GameSpot post quoting Team Ninja. 

Samurai:
“The Samurai style provides a gameplay experience similar to previous Nioh titles. New actions such as Arts Proficiency, which enhances the power of martial arts, and Deflect, which allows players to block enemy attacks at the last moment, have been added, helping create a series of intense and deadly face-to-face confrontations.”

Ninja:
“The Ninja style excels in quick movements like dodging and aerial actions, giving ninjas the advantage of being able to attack from outside of the enemy’s range by utilizing a variety of ‘Ninjitsu’ techniques according to the situation on the battlefield. Players have the ability to use techniques like Mist, which leaves a clone after an attack, and Evade, which allows for narrowly avoiding enemy strikes. Both techniques help players outmaneuver foes while delivering devastating speed attacks from behind.”

Team Ninja also confirmed that the enclosed spaces of Nioh 2 have been changed into larger spaces, allowing for greater freedom of movement and exploration. More information about the game is expected from Team Ninja as the game nears release.