Last Updated on Nov 21, 2025 @ 15:11:45 PM.
Revealed a few months ago during a State of Play, Nioh 3 is continually improving, with more details being revealed as time passes. Now, in a franchise first, it appears that KOEI Tecmo is poised to take the franchise in a direction it has never ventured before.
Straight from KOEI Tecmo:
Today, KOEI TECMO Europe and developer Team NINJA revealed the next stage in their upcoming dark samurai action RPG, Nioh 3, which releases 6th February 2026 on PlayStation®5 and Windows PC via Steam®.
For the first time in franchise history, the Bakumatsu period will be established as a new setting for players to embark upon in Nioh 3. Serving as the final era of the samurai, the stage is set in 1800s Kyoto, where the land and iconic landmarks such as the Kiyomizu and Honnoji temples have been overtaken and transformed by the Crucible’s influence.
In addition to encountering new and fearsome yokai, players will also face the Shinsengumi, a military squad that serves the shogunate. Shinsengumi troops are challenging foes equipped with modern weaponry such as firearms and gatling guns, delivering a combination of ranged and multi-directional attacks – a first in the history of the Nioh series.
During their journey, players will encounter a new cast of distinctive characters unique to each time period. In Bakumatsu-era Kyoto, protagonist Takechiyo Tokugawa will meet Takasugi Shinsaku, Okita Soji, and Tokugawa Yoshinobu, the 15th shogun of the Edo shogunate.
Nioh 3 is scheduled for release on February 6th, 2026, on PS5 and PC.
For more from us, check out the new Fatekeeper gameplay revealed yesterday.
Luke Addison is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Thumb Wars. Having previously been a part of multiple outlets over the years, including building an entire gaming team from nothing to something, he thought it best to forge his own path and answer only to himself. As likely to be found playing the latest game as he is in the kitchen relaxing (by cooking), he always brings the same bold and brash attitude to everything he does, with a heavy leaning on sarcasm and dry wit!
