Onimusha: Way of the Sword was one of several retro series revivals that graced the 2024 Game Awards, and it’s a sight for sore eyes. Capcom kicked the franchise off in 2001, establishing Onimusha as a more combat-heavy feudal Japan take on classic Resident Evil. The series was a big hit at the time, selling over 8.7 million units worldwide, but it’s taken nearly twenty years to move past the unpopular fourth mainline entry, Dawn of Dreams. Fortunately, after Onimusha: Warlords’ 2018 remaster laid the groundwork, Onimusha: Way of the Sword is finally ready to continue the fight.
Although little more than a partial gameplay trailer and short blurb are currently available, Onimusha: Way of the Sword seems to have picked the series back up like it never left. Set in the Edo period like the 2023 Netflix show, which comes after the Sengoku period Onimusha began in, Way of the Sword brings the demon-slashing action to Kyoto. The Onimusha Netflix show’s Musashi Miyamoto could return as the new protagonist, but Capcom is currently staying tight-lipped about story and gameplay details. Still, Onimusha: Way of the Sword is due out in 2026 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, so the silence can’t last for long.
Related
How Capcom Is Reviving The Game Genre It Once Pioneered
Capcom is bringing back multiple series that fans thought it would never touch again, and that means an action subgenre could also make its return.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword Should Reveal Itself Across 2025
What Past Onimusha’s Tell Us About Way of the Sword
Much of what’s been shown and implied to be in Onimusha: Way of the Sword is rooted in the series’ past. Once again, the Genma forces return as monstrous, demonic, and zombie-like enemies dealt with by a line or sparsely assisted swordsman. Fortunately for him, the Oni Gauntlet is also back and able to absorb colored souls for their standard resources and benefits. The player character’s comment about his own corruption implies that the titular Onimusha super form has returned alongside it, though how it’s implemented will probably be unique.
Way of the Sword’s trailer also appears to confirm the Issen counter-attack’s return. This mechanic is a staple of classic Onimusha titles, and compliments its slow, grounded gameplay with the ability to strike down enemies while they’re trying to attack. In that sense, it’s closer to Metal Gear Rising’s parries than the deflecting of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, but only time will tell how exactly Issen works in Way of the Sword. A comment in the press release also confirmed that the game would use a stage-based structure, likely similar to the linear progression of past Onimusha titles.
When Fans Can Expect To See Onimusha: Way of the Sword Again
More news about Onimusha: Way of the Sword will likely arrive in 2025, as its 2026 release window isn’t that far away. One could attribute this to Capcom’s willingness to show what resembled gameplay before 2025 even started, but a better justification is that Onimusha is Capcom’s next end-of-fiscal year game after Monster Hunter Wilds and Dragon’s Dogma 2. Pragmata is still missing and Resident Evil 9 hasn’t been announced despite its many leaks, so Onimusha could fill the expected February or March 2026 release window, the specifics to be revealed later in 2025.
Going by that logic, a trailer, and potentially press demos, at Summer Game Fest feels likely. Onimusha could have a place at Gamescom, Tokyo Game Show, and The Game Awards 2025, and has a similar shot at appearing in any State of Play or PlayStation Showcase. Six months of silence followed by the Summer Game Fest release date reveal sounds most likely, and the whole situation could be Capcom deliberately mirroring Monster Hunter Wilds’ path from its 2023 reveal to its February 2025 launch. If development is smooth enough to match this schedule, Onimusha: Way of the Sword could be timed just right.
