Team Ninja has revealed that the studio is expecting to release an as-of-yet-unannounced title before next year's Rise of the Ronin. Team Ninja has successfully carved out its own niche within the Soulslike genre and curated a generally positive sentiment.
Coming into 2023, Team Ninja had two games fans were eagerly expecting. March saw the arrival of the first, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, which was often held up to Nioh as what Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is to Dark Souls. The comparison proved apt in several ways - Wo Long's combat revolved around a Sekiro-like parry/deflection mechanic and many of Nioh's intricate RPG systems were stripped down and simplified for Team Ninja's most recent release. But some are more interested in what Rise of the Ronin has to offer, an open-world role-playing title that was first announced in a State of Play last year. However, it seems like Team Ninja has yet another game up its sleeve.
Speaking to Japanese gaming outlet Famitsu, Team Ninja's President Fumihiko Yasuda suggested that the studio intends to release annually. Given that Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty launched just last month, it would be natural to assume that Team Ninja's quota had already been fulfilled for this year. But a translation of Yasuda's words refers to a title that is expected to be released in 2023, a game that he describes as "in development."
Although Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is due to receive significant DLC in the coming months, it is unlikely that Yasuda would be alluding to this when discussing major releases. Asked about rumors that the studio may be revisiting the Ninja Gaiden or Dead or Alive franchises, Yasuda blamed them on "a misunderstanding." It seems that Team Ninja is firmly dedicated to Rise of the Ronin and whatever announced project is nearing completion.
For those yet to face the demons of Wo Long, a recent update has made the first boss easier, reducing his health and tweaking his AI. A tutorial was also added for the encounter, a fight that many have criticized for presenting an intense difficulty spike that is not representative of the game. Alongside these alterations arrived several bug fixes, no doubt intended to smoothen the experience on PC in particular. Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty was review bombed on Steam following reports of yet another poorly optimized port for PC. Such stories have been disappointingly common, with the latest example being The Last of Us Part 1, which was released on PC in a virtually unplayable state for a vast number of people.
Source: Famitsu (via DualShockers)