Although the Onimusha series launched remastered versions of its first two games in recent years, the saga hasn’t released a new entry since 2006. This period of dormancy is set to end with Onimusha: Way of the Sword, a brand-new dark-fantasy adventure that tells the story of Musashi Miyamoto, a master swordsman in Edo-era Kyoto. Capcom has already unveiled a few trailers for Onimusha: Way of the Sword and confirmed a release window for 2026.
Earlier in March, the developers revealed that Way of the Sword has no direct connections to previous Onimusha titles. In other words, newcomers do not need further context to enter the saga, but Way of the Sword promises to maintain some of the franchise’s most iconic elements, which many longtime fans are looking forward to. In a recent interview with Game Rant at Summer Game Fest, Onimusha: Way of the Sword producer Akihito Kadowaki and associate producer Koichi Shibata explained how the development team tackled adapting a beloved saga to modern gaming trends after 20 years.
How Onimusha: Way of the Sword Caters to New and Longtime Players
According to Kadowaki, several developers at Capcom had been wanting to make a new Onimusha title for a while, but it wasn’t until 2020 that a production team with the right people was formed. Fast-forward a few years, Onimusha: Way of the Sword was formally announced at The Game Awards 2024. Kadowaki comments that the positive response from fans felt reassuring, but the team now felt more pressured to make “an extremely good game.” Shibata states that the dev team’s main goal was clear: to bring back classic Onimusha elements and make them palatable to modern gamers. When asked about what defines an Onimusha game, Kadowaki gave a three-pillar formula that Way of the Sword will follow.
“There are three tenets of what makes an Onimusha game unique and standalone. The first is that the protagonist has the Oni Gauntlet on his arm, allowing him to absorb the souls of fallen enemies, so we wanted to focus on that and give it a modern game take. The second is the dynamic and satisfying sword action gameplay that only Capcom can deliver. The third also ties into the sword combat and updating the mechanics from the older games. We wished to make sure that this really stood out and made the game unique in its own right”.
The producers agree that attempting to satisfy both new and seasoned Onimusha players was quite challenging for the Way of the Sword dev team. To appeal to veteran fans, the team opted to emphasize Onimusha‘s signature swordplay combat by upgrading its classic Issen system. Some examples of this enhancement include new dismemberment mechanics and boss-exclusive animations. Way of the Sword also uses Capcom’s RE engine, which Shibata says will be a key point in attracting longtime fans. With the latest technology in visuals, Onimusha: Way of the Sword can recover older, familiar designs and do them justice.
When it comes to pleasing new players, Shibata mentions that the game aims to win them over with its compelling story first before they become familiar with the combat system.
“For new users, we focused more on creating a new original story with interesting, relatable characters so that people can really get into the narrative. Once they’re into that, they can enjoy the same kind of sword-based action game that veteran fans enjoy”.
Kadowaki adds that Way of the Sword has a more global focus, which is why the team introduced a rivalry theme between Musashi and Sasaki Ganryu. Both possess the Oni Gauntlet, but while Musashi wants to get rid of it, Ganryu chooses to exploit its power. To Kadowaki, this narrative is going to be very appealing to players. The producer mentioned that the success of recent Capcom games put even more pressure on the Onimusha team to “keep the ball rolling.” However, the developers are happy with the results and hope that fans will feel the same way once Onimusha: Way of the Sword hits the shelves next year.