After 18 years, Okami 2 director Hideki Kamiya says he “didn’t think the day would really come” where he’d return to the iconic adventure, but says the sequel is “a joy that cannot be described”

Okami 2 was announced last night at The Game Awards 2024, but its returning director says he didn’t think that day would ever come.

In a message shared on Twitter, Hideki Kamiya, who directed the original 2006 game and is returning for its sequel after 18 years, pointed to the “until next time” message that appeared at the end of the game. “How long has it been since the story was concluded with that?” he asked.

“I didn’t think the day would really come, where I’d return to Okami and continue the story with my own hands. Even at this very moment, my body is filled with both a cautious surprise that this is not a dream, and a joy that cannot be described in words.”

Kamiya goes on to express his thanks to his friends and colleagues, but also to the community that has “continued to support Okami even after such a long time.” He says the work of those groups has “come together to create this miracle, for which I am deeply grateful.”

It might be a little while before we see the fruits of all that work, however. Kamiya closes his message by says that while the project is “finally in motion,” it’s also “still a small bud that is blossoming.” He finishes by saying he and his team “are ready to fill this new Okami with many colorful flowers, and to do our best to fulfill the promise of ‘next time’ in the best way.”

Perhaps Kamiya has been hinting at this for longer than we thought, suggesting in July that it was his “duty” to create an Okami sequel.