Though it isn't nearly as well known as the likes of Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, or Final Fantasy, Ninja Gaiden is one of gaming's oldest franchises, having debuted all the way back in 1988. Originally a 2D action-platformer that launched for arcades and the NES, Ninja Gaiden was a major critical and commercial success, so much so that it received a handful of sequels in the 1990s. After a decade-long hiatus, Ninja Gaiden returned in 2004 with a fairly groundbreaking reboot that transformed the series into a challenging 3D action-adventure. Much like the original Ninja Gaiden, the 2004 reboot received a few sequels, and then the series entered another lengthy hiatus.

Aside from 2021's Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection, the Ninja Gaiden franchise hasn't seen a new release in over a decade. But a spark of hope was reignited at last year's Game Awards with the announcement of Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound. And following a surprise appearance at Xbox's Developer Direct, that spark has turned into a fervent flame.

Ninja Gaiden Is Releasing Two Very Different Entries in 2025

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound Is a 2D Side-Scrolling Spinoff

The Ninja Gaiden franchise is about to take 2025 by storm, getting ready to offer two very different experiences that should cater to two different audiences. The first up to bat will be Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, set for release in "Summer 2025."

Announced at the Game Awards 2024, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound will be a pixel art 2D side-scrolling action game that hearkens back to the franchise's 1980/90s roots. Ragebound's reveal trailer showed new protagonist Kenji Mozu protecting Hayabusa Village against the demonic horde in Ryu Hayabusa's absence. Coming from The Game Kitchen, the same devs behind the Blasphemous duology, fans can expect some fast-paced, crunchy, and responsive side-scrolling combat and platforming.

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound's announcement was met with celebration at the end of last year, marking the first new entry in the franchise in over a decade. But Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound won't need to shoulder all the pressure of a franchise revival alone.

Ninja Gaiden 4 Is The Next Step in The Franchise's Evolution

Announced during Xbox's Developer Direct, Team Ninja and PlatinumGames are joining forces once more, this time to create the next mainline installment in the Ninja Gaiden franchise. Simply titled "Ninja Gaiden 4," this new entry is currently set to launch sometime in the Fall.

Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, an Unreal Engine 5 remaster of the 2008 original, was announced and shadow-dropped during the Xbox Developer Direct.

Despite it only just being announced, quite a lot of gameplay footage and official information has already been revealed about the long-awaited sequel, giving fans a pretty good idea of what they can expect in the Fall. Ninja Gaiden 4 will introduce fans to Yakumo, a new protagonist tasked with clearing the Dark Dragon's "miasma rain" from the skies of Tokyo. To achieve that task, players will be given a bevy of new abilities, from some brutal-looking finishers to the ability to grind on rails and slide down wires. Based on its initial gameplay trailer, Ninja Gaiden 4 looks like an authentic evolution of the series' core formula, and hopefully, it'll be an evolution that was worth waiting 13 years for.