This page mixes confirmed information with industry rumors and speculation. We’ll keep it updated as new details and leaks come to light.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword is the next installment in the long-running series that started in 2001. After Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams in 2006, the series went dormant for almost two decades. So, with Onimusha: Way of the Sword’s release, the series is looking to bring back the celebrated “flash of light” or “Issen” counterattack-based combat for a modern audience.
Read on to learn everything we know about the Onimusha: Way of the Sword release date, platforms, and more. We’ll also explore how Onimusha’s combat is different from modern third-person action games such as despite having the “soul” mechanics, the game’s core combat remains faithful to the original games and doesn’t follow the Soulslike trend.
The Escapist recaps
- The Onimusha: Way of the Sword release date has not been revealed yet, but the game is confirmed for 2026.
- Just like previous entries, the game won’t be a console exclusive.
- The game has flashy, yet deliberate swordplay that’ll test players.
- Onimusha: Way of the Sword is introducing a new protagonist rather than bringing back Samanosuke.
- It’s a dark fantasy game that leans more towards combat, characters, and horror.
When could Onimusha: Way of the Sword be released?
The Onimusha: Way of the Sword release date is unknown, but the game is confirmed to arrive in 2026. However, all previous games in the franchise saw a release between January and March, so there’s a high probability that Onimusha: Way of the Sword will follow the pattern.
With big hitters like Grand Theft Auto 6 hitting consoles in May 2026, other games would want to avoid that release window. Capcom hasn’t announced any exact dates, but the game is going to be playable at Gamescom 2025.
A playable demo is not a perfect litmus test, but it usually indicates the game is at least nearing the end of development, which is an exciting thing for players to consider in the absence of a confirmed Onimusha: Way of the Sword release window.
Expected Onimusha: Way of the Sword price & pre-orders
Capcom has yet to officially announce the price and pre-orders. The Onimusha: Way of the Sword price is expected to be around $70, which is standard for new Capcom games.
Previous big Capcom releases like Monster Hunter Wilds and Dragon’s Dogma 2 were released at $70. It doesn’t seem like Onimusha: Way of the Sword is a smaller-scale release like the Mafia: The Old Country, so fans can expect it to be a fully priced title.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword pre-orders are not live yet and are expected to launch close to the game’s release. However, both Steam and PlayStation Store pages for the game are already up, and players can wishlist the title. The Onimusha: Way of the Sword’s Xbox page is not live yet. Capcom hasn’t disclosed any plans for a Nintendo Switch 2 port of the game.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword platforms
The confirmed Onimusha: Way of the Sword platforms include PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows PC. The game will skip last-generation consoles like the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
The first Onimusha game was released on the PlayStation 2, but eventually saw a PC and Xbox release. Capcom is avoiding any platform exclusivity with the latest iteration as well. There is no word on platform-specific features yet.
PlayStation exclusive features like haptics and adaptive triggers have not been announced as of now. It’s not clear whether Onimusha: Way of the Sword will get PlayStation 5 Pro upgrades on launch either. PC-exclusive features, such as advanced frame generation or Ray Tracing, are also not disclosed.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword trailers & gameplay analysis
The first Onimusha: Way of the Sword trailer premiered at the PlayStation State of Play event and showed a few glimpses of gameplay. The trailer focused mainly on the protagonist, Musashi Miyamoto. Long-time fans of the series might recognize Musashi from Blade Warriors, the Netflix animated show, or the Night of Genesis manga.
The brisk 2-minute trailer shows Musashi face off against otherworldly enemies. The game is set in Kyoto, which has been transformed into a nightmare. The horror and dark fantasy themes are evident in both the level and enemy design. The protagonist uses multiple combos and attacks to defeat hellish enemies. The trailer ends with a classic Onimusha boss fight against a giant demonic enemy.
Another trailer launched at the Game Awards, focusing more on the demon enemies Musashi will fight in the game. The second Onimusha: Way of the Sword trailer has the protagonist slashing, cutting, and countering otherworldly swordsmen in classic Onimusha combat style.
The trailer also shows off the early Edo period Kyoto, which has been transformed into a dark, twisted version, with the demonic enemy Genma also returning. Musashi wields the legendary Oni Gauntlet and gracefully slices his way through the enemies.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword gameplay focuses on precise timings, both for strikes and counters. The trailer emphasizes the counterattacks, with several enemies dying from them. A flying demon head explodes when Musashi counters its projectile at the last moment. The gameplay seems more like Ghost of Tsushima than Dark Souls.
Ask The Escapist
No, Onimusha: Way of the Sword is not a Soulslike game. While it may seem like one, the combat is more in line with sword action games like Ninja Gaiden and Ghost of Tsushima. In a developer video, game producer Akihito Kadowaki explains that the game focuses on sword-to-sword combat.
In the same video, game director Satoru Nihei stated, “We’re not trying to make an impossibly difficult game. Instead, we want to make a game where fans of action can experience thrilling sword fights.”
Oni means demon, and musha translates to warrior or samurai. So, Onimuisha means demon warrior.
No, Onimusha: Way of the Sword is not an open-world game. Instead, the game will follow linear level design with branching paths and bigger interconnected zones.
The single-player experience will focus on storytelling, characters, and combat. With no multiplayer or co-op modes announced, the developers are staying true to classic Onimusha games.
Onimusha: Warlords and Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny are generally celebrated as the best two Onimusha games. Of course, this is subjective, so we recommend at least checking out the newly released remastered versions of Onimusha 1 and 2 to see what the hype is all about.
References
- Onimusha: Way of the Sword (Steam)
- Onimusha: Way of the Sword (PlayStation Store)
- Onimusha: Way of the Sword – 1st Trailer: Protagonist (YouTube)
- Onimusha: Way of the Sword – Message from the Developers (YouTube)
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