Among the titles showcased at the Xbox Developer_Direct, Ninja Gaiden 4 arguably stood out the most. The story focuses on newcomer Yakumo, who ventures to a ruined Tokyo to take out the Dark Dragon.
Series regular Ryu Hayabusa also appears, though his intentions are unclear. Arriving more than 13 years after Ninja Gaiden 3, such a sudden comeback almost feels surreal.
However, after Team Ninja and PlatinumGames confirmed working secretly for years on the project, Microsoft Gaming CEO revealed that conversations started much before.
Speaking to Gamertag Radio, Spencer revealed that the newest title began after Xbox “knocked on some doors and said ‘What if?’ six or seven years ago.” He added, “I feel great about our relationships with the publishers in Japan,” though he admitted it’s taken a “lot of flights, FaceTime, and listening.” While Spencer “loves” to see the progress made, he believes more work needs to be done.
Nevertheless, “It’s what the Xbox community deserves, and I want to stay focused on that.” Ninja Gaiden 4 launches this Fall, and despite Xbox Game Studios publishing, it will be available for PS5 alongside Xbox Series X/S and PC.