‘Nioh 3’ Announced for 2026 Release; Alpha Demo Available Now for PlayStation 5 [Trailer]

A lot can change in four years for Nioh series director Fumihiko Yasuda. After stating that there were “no plans” back in 2021 for a third entry in the series, Koei Tecmo and developer Team Ninja have announced Nioh 3 for the PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam for an early 2026 release. In fact, an Alpha Demo is available now on the PlayStation Store until June 18.

Per PlayStation Blog, Nioh 3 centres around a young warrior poised to become the next Shogun. Details on the story are purposely being kept vague for now, but as the battles unfold, players will now be able to fight using two distinct combat styles: Samurai and Ninja, which can be switched instantly at any time.

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 focuses on quick movements like dodging and aerial actions, allowing ninjas to be able to attack from outside of the enemy’s range by utilizing a variety of “Ninjitsu” techniques. Those techniques include abilities like Mist, which leaves a clone after an attack, and Evade, which allows for narrowly avoiding enemy strikes.

Nioh 3 will also allow players to enjoy an open field that offers a new freedom of exploration to the unique tension and confrontations that have become a defining characteristic of the series. Form unexpected encounters with formidable yokai, to mysterious villages filled with violent secrets, to taking on the challenges of The Crucible.

The alpha demo won’t be players’ only chance to get an early look at Nioh 3, but is being used as a way to gather feedback and fine-tune the game to make “the definitive title in the Nioh series.”