Ghost of Yōtei Will Be Even Better Than Tsushima, Says Shuhei Yoshida

In late April, Sucker Punch announced the release date of Ghost of Yōtei. The sequel to 2020’s Ghost of Tsushima will be released on October 2, 2025, for Sony’s PlayStation 5 console.

There’s no doubt that it’s one of the most anticipated games of the year. After all, its predecessor was an excellent action/adventure game that also set a new sales record for PlayStation 4’s first-party debut. The superb reception pushed Sony to fast-track not only a sequel but also a movie adaptation that will be directed by John Wick’s Chad Stahelski.

Can Ghost of Yōtei meet fans’ lofty expectations, though? Speaking to the French website PlayStation Inside, former head of PlayStation Studios Shuhei Yoshida revealed that he played the game, and fans can be assured that it’ll be even better than the first installment.

In the case of Ghost of Tsushima, Sucker Punch worked extensively with a Japanese producer at SIE, as well as colleagues at Japan Studio. This was a great help to the studio because the developers could show them their ideas and these Japanese people would tell them internally whether or not they were respectful of Japan and correct. The teams also visited Tsushima Island and made a real effort to immerse themselves in its history and traditions. They managed to capture the island’s unique atmosphere, which can be felt in the game, for example in the wind system, and I think that’s why it’s so successful. The game has even boosted tourism on Tsushima Island, which says a lot.

So, if you want to sell well in Japan, especially when you’re making a game about Japan, it’s important to have a development process that seeks to understand the country throughout. Ghost of Tsushima felt incredible to play, and having played Ghost of Yotei at several stages of its development, I can assure you that it will be even better and that Sucker Punch has done it again!

Shortly after the launch date news, Sucker Punch revealed new details about this new game. The developers said this is their biggest world with the greatest amount of player freedom. The campaign where protagonist Atsu seeks her revenge will be non-linear, meaning that players can take on the Yōtei Six (who killed Atsu’s family) in any order.