The newest entry in Sucker Punch Productions’ seminal samurai series, Ghost of Yōtei was showed off some incredible new swordplay and a breathtaking world.
Being put front and center during Sony’s June 10th, 2025, State of Play, Sucker Punch’s Creative Directors, Jason Connell and Nate Fox spoke in great detail about the new story surrounding the main character, Atsu as well as showcasing some impressive new features.
The team spoke briefly on the game’s new story, focusing on Atsu’s past and quest for revenge against a gang known as the Yotei Six. This has led her to be recognized by the locals as an Onryo—a wrathful spirit that has returned from death for the purposes of vengeance. In addition to the new story, players are able to jump to Atsu’s past seamlessly with the push of a button.
Sucker Punch has also focused on making the world of Ghost of Yōtei a much more expansive place to experience. Players are able to gain information about the world, which will lead them to new areas and potentially unlock new abilities for Atsu. New to Ghost of Yōtei is a bounty system where players will be able to hunt down wanted men and women and earn money to aid in their quest.
Another addition to the game will be an expanded set of weapons, including Katanas, Spears, Odatchi, Kusurigama, and Dual Swords. Each weapon is effective against specific enemies, and players will need to strategize to be effective in combat. Unlike Jin before her, Atsu isn’t a trained samurai and may lose her weapons if she takes damage during fights, adding yet another layer of depth to combat.
Sucker Punch has seemingly also taken extra steps to streamline the experience of Ghost of Yōtei in a way that isn’t too hands off, but brings helpful Quality of Life improvements to the game to make it a much more approachable experience. This was seen in the new “campfire” system, where players can rest and prepare for a big fight, but also have interactions with important characters.
Of course, Ghost of Yōtei will feature a Photo mode—one of the features most beloved by players of Ghost of Tsushima—but on top of this, in an attempt to make the game feel more like a proper piece of Japanese cinema, the game will feature a full Japanese voice track, with proper lip sync and English subtitles alongside the standard English.
Sucker Punch once again partnered with Akira Kurasawa’s estate to include a “Kurasawa Mode,” which sets the game in a cinematic black & white. In addition, the team partnered with Takashi Miike for a “Miike Mode” more a tighter camera and intense blood and mud, and Samurai Champloo creator Shinichirō Watanabe for a “Watanabe Mode” that adds lo-fi R&B-inspired music to the game.
Alongside the release of the game, a special edition PlayStation 5 will be released. Ghost of Yōtei will release on Oct 2nd, 2025.
