Prior to its premiere, Microsoft’s Developer Direct was stated to have a couple extra surprises in store, outside of its previously-announced deep-dives for the likes of DOOM and South of Midnight. With the showcase concluded, it has now been confirmed that this surprise was in fact a brand new entry in the much-loved Ninja Gaiden series – coming sooner than you’d think.

Making the surprise announcement during the Xbox Developer Direct, Microsoft confirmed that the long-dormant franchise will be returning later this year with the release of Ninja Gaiden 4, saying:

“The definitive ninja action-adventure franchise returns with NINJA GAIDEN 4! Embark on a cutting-edge adventure where legacy meets innovation in a high-octane blend of style and no-holds-barred combat.”

Set to be published by Xbox Games Studios themselves (and coming as a day-one Game Pass drop), this latest entry in the classic hack and slash series will be co-developed by spectacle fighter specialists ‘PlatinumGames’ alongside Team Ninja themselves.

Most surprisingly, Ninja Gaiden 4 is slated to release later this year, some time during Fall 2025 – meaning the teams managed to keep this under wraps for quite a while now.

Finally, it’s worth noting that while the game is set to be published by Xbox, and will be coming day-one to Game Pass, Ninja Gaiden 4 will be a multiplatform release.

PlatinumGames’ track record has been somewhat hit or miss in recent years, however, there is no denying that the team know how to make great looking melee action. Hopefully this marks a grand return for this long-dormant franchise.

KitGuru says: What did you think of the surprise announcement? Did you expect it to be Ninja Gaiden? What are your thoughts on PlatinumGames co-developing? Let us know down below.