Ninja Gaiden 4 Is Only Possible Thanks to Koei Tecmo and PlatinumGames Team-Up, Directors Say — “We Wouldn’t Have Been Able To Accomplish the Things We Did With This.”

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Among the numerous Xbox games yet to be released this year, one highly anticipated title is Ninja Gaiden 4. This game has come about through an innovative collaboration between different teams, a partnership that the directors credit as crucial for its creation. PlatinumGames is handling the development, while Koei Tecmo and Team Ninja provide guidance and oversight, offering feedback on the project. Xbox Game Studios Publishing is publishing the game.

In an interview, Masakazu Hirayama, director and producer at Team Ninja, shared that if they were to develop Ninja Gaiden 4 independently, they wouldn’t have achieved what they have with

In response to Hirayama, Nakao swiftly concurs, stating that numerous aspects of the game are outcomes of collaborative discussions between both teams. He expresses that it was crucial for them, being PlatinumGames, to infuse our unique style into the game. Additionally, he mentions that they were able to effectively combine the strengths of both PlatinumGames and Team Ninja, which is evident in the gameplay experience.

Furthermore, Nakao commends the level of detail and precision that Team Ninja demands in their games. He admits to growing a profound respect for the high responsiveness found in their titles.

Finding the right balance

In a conversation about the collaborative process, the duo reveals that Yakumo’s Bloodraven Form was quite challenging to refine due to its power-enhancing attributes and weapon transformation abilities. At one stage in game development, Bloodraven Form seemed overpowering, making many combat encounters too easy. To address this imbalance, the teams had to adjust it, ensuring it blended seamlessly with the game’s combat system rather than appearing as an unbalanced addition on top of everything else.

Hirayama humorously mentions that if you compared Bloodraven Form from a year ago to its current state, it’s almost unrecognizable.

I’ve spent a few hours playing Ninja Gaiden 4, and based on the early levels, I think the teams have achieved the perfect balance.

Ninja Gaiden 4 is set to release on October 21, 2025, for Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC (Steam and Xbox PC), and PlayStation 5. Like all Xbox first-party games, the standard edition will be available from day one in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

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2025-08-08 00:09