Nioh 3 Revealed: Get Ready For New Combat Styles And Big Worlds In This Exciting Sequel

Expectations were pretty low for today's State of Play, but I think PlayStation had some exciting surprises up its sleeve. One of the biggest announcements was a brand new entry in the Nioh series. It is coming out next year, and the best part is that you can play a demo of it right now. When the trailer first started, my alarm bells were ringing. I immediately remembered how much Team Ninja, the studio behind the games, has on its plate these days. But then the Team Ninja logo popped up and they went right ahead and showed us our first look at Nioh 3.

It has been a while since the last Nioh game. It has been about five years since Nioh 2 came out in 2020. Nioh 3 will bring in a new main character, and we got to see a lot of this person in the first trailer. If you missed it during the State of Play, you can check it out for yourself. Or if you are as excited as I am for more Nioh, you might want to watch the trailer again. Maybe even one more time after that.

Unlike Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, which came to Xbox Game Pass right away, it does not look like Nioh 3 will follow that path. It is great to see the series back though, and it brings some interesting new twists to the action role-playing game formula. I find it really cool when developers try new ideas while still keeping what fans already love about their games.

When Can We All Start Playing Nioh 3 On Our Consoles And PCs For The First Time?

The Anticipated Release Window And How To Try Out The Free Demo Today

Nioh 3 is set to release in early 2026. It will be available on PlayStation 5 and PC. That might feel like a bit of a wait, but Team Ninja has given us something to play right now. A free demo of the game is available for PS5 players today. This demo is a limited-time offer. It will be around until June 18, 2025. You will want to keep an eye out for it in the PlayStation Store. This is a smart way to get feedback from players and help fine-tune the game before its full release. I always appreciate when developers give us a chance to try things out early.

The demo is described as an alpha demo. This means it is still in an early stage. Team Ninja is really trying to get feedback from players. They want to make sure the game is the best it can be. This kind of open approach to development is good for us as players. It means our thoughts can help shape the final product. I know I will be jumping into that demo as soon as I can. I want to see what they have changed and how the new additions feel.

New Combat Styles And Bigger Worlds Are Coming To Nioh 3

How The Samurai And Ninja Styles Will Change Combat And How The World Design Feels Different

One of the biggest new things in Nioh 3 is that players can pick from two different combat styles. There is the Samurai style, which players of past Nioh games will know well. And then there is a brand new Ninja style. As you might guess, the Ninja style is more about quickness. It focuses on dodging attacks and moves in the air instead of the more traditional Samurai way of fighting.

Team Ninja has given some details on these styles. The Samurai style will feel similar to previous Nioh titles. However, they have added new actions like Arts Proficiency, which makes martial arts more powerful. They have also added Deflect, which lets players block enemy attacks at the last moment. These additions should make for even more intense fights. The Ninja style is good for quick movements like dodging and actions in the air. This gives ninjas a way to attack from outside enemy reach. They can use different "Ninjutsu" moves depending on the situation. Techniques like Mist, which leaves a clone after an attack, and Evade, which helps narrowly avoid enemy hits, are part of this. Both techniques help players outsmart enemies while delivering fast attacks from behind. I am really excited to try out the Ninja style myself.

A big change for the series is how the world is put together. Team Ninja confirmed that Nioh 3 includes an "open field." This offers more freedom to move around than in past games. Before, the games had more contained areas. Now, it sounds like we will have bigger spaces to find our way through. Team Ninja wants us to have unexpected encounters with strong yokai. We will also get to discover suspicious villages with violent secrets and take on tough challenges in a place called The Crucible. It sounds like there will be many hostile new places to survive in this cursed kingdom. This is a welcome change that I think will make the game feel even bigger and more dynamic. I wonder how this change will affect the overall challenge of the game, since Nioh games are known for being tough.

Connecting With Other Players In Nioh 3: New Ways To Play Together

How The Multiplayer Features Will Work And Why You Might Want To Team Up With Friends

Online multiplayer has also seen some updates in Nioh 3. Players will now be able to get help from others through something called the "Summon Visitor" mode. You can also move around the larger areas with other players in the online multiplayer mode called "Expeditions." Team Ninja mentioned that this feature will be useful for those who get stuck playing alone. It will also be good for people who want to overcome challenges together. I think this is a great addition because these games can be really hard sometimes. Having a friend or two to back you up can make a big difference and add a lot of fun. It is always a good time fighting tough bosses with friends.

Past Nioh games had some multiplayer, but these new modes sound like they are making it a bigger part of the experience. The idea of being able to join an "Expedition" and go through larger areas with a team is really appealing. It could change how we approach some of the tougher fights. I am looking forward to seeing how these new multiplayer features play out. It could lead to some really memorable moments, especially when facing off against those notoriously difficult bosses.

What Else We Know About Nioh 3 And Why It Is Worth Getting Excited For

Reflecting On The Series' Past Success And Its Promising Path Forward

The trailer for Nioh 3 spent a good amount of time on the story. A narrator talked about spirit stones and how they often start massive battles throughout the games. The voice-over was matched with striking images showing parts of an Oni invasion. Then the trailer switched to show gameplay. It looks like Nioh 3 will continue the dark and rich world that fans have come to appreciate. The mix of historical Japanese settings with supernatural creatures is something I have always loved about the series.

The original Nioh was a good game that definitely earned a follow-up. Nioh 2 was truly excellent. So it is nice to see Team Ninja giving this series another shot after almost six years. They are bringing fresh ideas to the table, and that is important for keeping a series interesting. I believe this shows the developers are still passionate about the world and its characters. It makes me even more excited for what is to come.

Producer Fumihiko Yasuda explained that the Ninja style is meant to be a contrast to the familiar Samurai approach. He said it will "allowing for more diverse combat experiences." He also noted that the contained areas of previous games have been "transformed into open fields, significantly enhancing the freedom and a feeling of being present in the world." Yasuda did not directly call it an open-world game. Instead, he wanted to highlight a broader format that still offers "the unique tension and confrontations that have become a defining characteristic of the Nioh series." This means we can expect the tough fights and challenges that make Nioh what it is, but in a new, more open way. I think that sounds like a great balance. It gives us something new while still being true to the series' roots. I am really looking forward to seeing how this game turns out when it releases in early 2026.