It isn’t unreasonable to say that Onimusha isn’t as popular as it once was. That’s not a slight on the game series at all, it’s simply an effect that occurs when fans have to wait 20 years for a new chapter in the series. While there have been remasters in recent memory, the last mainline instalment debuted back in 2006, which will mean a 20-year-gap when Onimusha: Way of the Sword launches on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S in 2026.
Speaking about this wait, we recently had the chance to chat with producer Akihito Kadowaki at Gamescom, where we asked why now is the perfect time for a new instalment in the series.
Kadowaki explained: “The last installment that we had was 20 years ago, and we’ve obviously wanted, internally, many of the Capcom teams wanted to have a new Onimusha created, but there were many titles that we had to work on, there were things that we had to do, and creating one game title takes about roughly 3 to 5 years to make, so it wasn’t easy to have all the teams come together, and the timing just didn’t really align.
“But, after 20 years, there was a moment where all the core members could come together, and at that same timing we had the new RE Engine, our internal engine, that was a very good timing for, that became available, and we decided that it was a great time to have the new Onimusha instalment, so we started working on it, and we’re aiming for a 2026 release.”
Since many newer fans will be entirely unfamiliar with the Onimusha series, we also asked about how Way of the Sword is looking to differentiate itself from the other action-RPG titles that have become incredibly popular as of late.
Kadowaki replied: “So, it’s been 20 years since we’ve had the last Onimusha, and there are many people that don’t know the Onimusha series, and with this instalment, we wanted to obviously have some elements that we incorporated from the titles that we’ve had in the past. For example, the dark fantasy setting that Onimusha has, and also the exhilarating sword action that the Issen allows, and the unique characters that you can interact with in the game. And on top of that, we wanted to add a little bit of a difference in the action, so we are able to also absorb souls.”
You can see the full interview with Kadowaki below, where we also chat about ensuring that Onimusha: Way of the Sword is challenging but doesn’t “crush your confidence,” how Capcom reflected Kyoto in the setting, and more.