There is not a mystery game after all
Following a recent interview with Team Ninja lead Fumihiko Yasuda, reports swirled that the studio had another game in the works, set to arrive before 2024’s Rise of the Ronin. But Koei Tecmo confirms those rumors aren’t accurate to Team Ninja’s plans.
Speaking to Famitsu, Yasuda discussed Team Ninja’s upcoming docket of games. The previously announced Rise of the Ronin is set for 2024. Yasuda also expresses a desire to release something new in 2025. The confusion arises around a certain phrasing, though.
“‘Rise of the Ronin’ has been under development for about 7 years and is scheduled to be released in 2024,” Yasuda said. “This work will be released in 2023, and I feel like I want to release a new title in 2025.”
Famitsu’s interview was published online on March 11, after the release of Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty earlier this year. This, alongside mention that the game in question was in development, led to speculation and reports that Team Ninja has another game planned for 2023.
Koei Tecmo clarifies
As noted in Famitsu’s article, though, this interview was conducted on February 14, 2023, prior to the launch of Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. And the interview itself is about Wo Long, too.
We reached out to Team Ninja parent company Koei Tecmo to clarify, and a spokesperson confirmed that “this work” refers to Wo Long. The spokesperson also confirms their 2023 game is Wo Long, and Team Ninja does not have another full game planned for 2023.
Which, considering Wo Long still has a season pass’ worth of content on the way alongside Rise of the Ronin and thoughts of a 2025 game, is probably a good thing. Team Ninja has had a steady cadence over the last few years.
Meanwhile, Wo Long does sound like it’s a pretty rad. That’s out now, with added content on the way for the rest of this year.