NiOh 3 coming in 2026 with new ninja combat, free demo now available on PS5

NiOh is coming back with a third game, and this time Team Ninja is introducing their namesake to the series.

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Today at Sony's State of Play event, Koei Tecmo and Team Ninja announced NiOh 3, the continuation of its action-packed Samurai souls franchise. NiOh 3 is due out in early 2026 on PlayStation 4, and an alpha demo is currently available on the PlayStation 5 via the PS Store.

The big change with NiOh 3 is the addition of new ninja-based combat to the game. The franchise has used stance-oriented combat with a variety of weapons, including some that ninjas would use, but NiOh 3 will have techniques to match the ninja weapons this time around.

In a special post on the PlayStation Blog, NiOh director Fumihiko Yasuda highlighted what we should expect in NiOh 3:

"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.

"Meanwhile, 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."

During the State of Play reveal, Yasuda said:

"We are very excited to announce NiOh 3, the latest installment of our acclaimed hardcore samurai action-RPG franchise.

"For this game, we're introducing a unique Ninja style in addition to the well-known Samurai style, allowing for more diverse combat experiences.

"The stages have also been transformed into open fields, significantly enhancing the freedom and immersion in exploration and strategy.

"A demo is available on the PS5 starting today, so we would love for you to play it and share your feedback with us."