Nioh 3 is Real, Limited Time Demo Available Today
Despite Nioh and Nioh 2 selling a combined eight million copies as of last month, whether Team Ninja and Koei Tecmo would continue the series has long been up in the air. Neither developer nor publisher has had much to say about Nioh these past five years, so it really has been anyone’s guess. Well, until today, that is. Not only did Koei Tecmo and Team Ninja confirm the existence of Nioh 3 but they also revealed that fans can try a demo of it. Right now.
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Despite there already being a playable demo for Nioh 3 available today, fans will have to wait until 2026 in order to play the full release. Koei Tecmo has only announced releases for PC and PlayStation 5 so far, but with Switch 2 on the way and the recent moves by Xbox, there could very well be potential for ports in the future.
Rather than a foreign visitor or a half-yokai warrior, Nioh 3 will put players in the shoes of a young noble who’s poised to become Japan’s next shogun during the country’s troubled Sengoku period. Also, it seems that dark forces have gathered and, in order to prevent their ascension, have placed a curse upon the realm. It’s going to take a person with beyond exceptional strength and skill to put things right and take their place in the seat of power.
The aspiring shogun is a noble warrior with mastery over two fighting styles.
As the aspiring shogun, players will be able to freely explore new and hostile environments, take on formidable yokai, root out evil in rural villages and conquer daunting challenges in The Crucible as they follow the path of destiny. What’s more, there are now two distinct ways to combat the threats they face in Nioh 3, rather than just one, as in the previous titles.
The first, which series veterans will be most familiar with, is the Samurai. As a samurai, knowing what stance to use when against each enemy is crucial for victory. Get caught in the wrong stance, and winning the engagement immediately becomes an uphill battle.
But those who follow the path of the samurai will have new actions in Nioh 3, such as “Arts Proficiency” and “Deflect.” The former allows players to enhance the power of their martial arts, while the latter enables a last-second block. Encounters will still be quite intense and deadly, so players need to make sure to use these tools with care.
Those who follow the path of the samurai will have new actions in Nioh 3.
The other, newer style being introduced in Nioh 3 is the Ninja. As one might expect, ninjas focus on quick movements and aerial maneuvers rather than relying on direct contests of strength and skill. This allows them to utilize various situational ninjutsu techniques to surprise enemies and attack from outside their normal range. These techniques include the likes of “Mist,” which creates a clone after an attack, and “Evade,” which enables players to narrowly avoid enemy attacks. Players should use these and others to outflank their enemies and strike from behind.
It sounds like Team Ninja really wants players to think situationally this time around, rather than rely solely on combat skill.
Players will not be locked into fighting as a samurai or a ninja in Nioh 3 either. Instead, they’ll have the ability to seamlessly switch between the two as they please. Both styles are completely viable in all situations too, so players also have the option of just sticking with their favorite. There are, apparently, ample opportunities to try both in the demo, with players who manage to get the hang of them enough to clear it earning a special helmet in the full release of Nioh 3.
Nioh 3 will launch in 2026 for PC (via Steam) and PlayStation 5. Those unfamiliar with the Nioh series should make sure to check out our review for Nioh 2 and see if it’s something they’d like to try for themselves.
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