Alright, Nioh fans, get hyped! Team Ninja and Koei Tecmo just dropped some seriously cool news about Nioh 3. I am talking about the introduction of the Bakumatsu period. For those not in the know, that's the final era of the samurai, setting the stage in 1800s Kyoto.

In Nioh 3, the story kicks off with Kunimatsu, someone who has embraced darkness, declaring himself the eternal shogun. Things get wild when Edo, along with most of Japan, gets swallowed up by something called the Crucible. Only Kyoto remains, protected by these sacred Spirit Trees, where loyalists are putting up a desperate fight. It sounds like a recipe for an epic, dark, samurai-filled adventure, doesn't it?

One of the coolest things is that the iconic landmarks of Kyoto, like the Kiyomizu and Honnoji temples, have been completely transformed by the Crucible. Expect to face not only new and terrifying yokai but also the Shinsengumi. These guys were a real military squad that served the shogunate, but in Nioh 3, they're equipped with modern weaponry, like firearms and gatling guns. That's right, you will see ranged and multi-directional attacks, a first for the Nioh series.

The game looks set to introduce a bunch of new characters from each time period. So, while navigating through Bakumatsu-era Kyoto, you'll be meeting figures like Tokugawa Takechiyo, Takasugi Shinsaku, Okita Soji, and even Tokugawa Yoshinobu, the 15th shogun of the Edo shogunate.

Mark your calendars because Nioh 3 is slated to launch on February 6, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam.