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Out of all the franchises that Capcom has released over the years, one that has been very elusive is the Onimusha series. For a long time, very little was done to bring back or revitalize the series, even though characters from various Onimusha games appeared in other releases. It had the same issue as the Mega Man franchise, even though Capcom’s blue bomber is more popular than their demon-slaying samurai. But 2026 is going to change that with the arrivial of a brand-new Onimusha title arriving on consoles.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword is the first new mainline iteration in the series in the past 20 years. Not only are we getting a new hero to don the infamous Gauntlet to gather the souls of fallen Genma, but a new original story to further build out the lore of the franchise. It’s a revival of a beloved series that has garnered a larger cult following over the years, mostly due to its absence. And I can’t wait to finally play it. Here’s why Onimusha: Way of the Sword is the series revival I’m looking forward to most in 2026.

Systems

Released 2026

ESRB Rating Pending

Developer(s) Capcom

Publisher(s) Capcom

Engine RE Engine

Genre(s) Action, Adventure, RPG

Lifting the sword once again

It’s been far too long since

Anyone that grew up playing the original Onimusha: Warlords and its sequels knows how rooted the series is in feudal Japan. While Capcom franchises like Resident Evil had zombies terrorizing people in the modern day, Onimusha was a similar setup set in old-time Japan. Instead of guns and rocket launchers, players only had swords and magical powers to fend off the demonic menace. It was a neat twist on the survival horror formula that Resident Evil made so popular, and was a step forward graphically on platforms like the PlayStation 2 and original Xbox.

But it’s been a very long time since the last Onimusha game was released for consoles. Onimusha: Way of the Sword coming out in 2026 is exactly 20 years after the release of Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams on the PlayStation 2. Many fans, including myself, are starved for new content. But luckily for everyone, trailers for the game released by Capcom show that the company is putting a lot of energy into making this new Onimusha title something special enough to carry on the legacy of the franchise. There’s something inherently cool and classic about seeing samurai warriors battle and overcome foes from the fires of hell.

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New warrior

A new hero wearing the Oni Gauntlet

The game’s story will follow a new hero named Miyamoto Musashi, whose likeness is modeled after legendary actor Toshiro Mifune. This is very fitting, since Mifune starred in multiple samurai action movies, including many iconic films by director Akira Kurosawa. Musashi will find himself in a twisted and demonic version of Edo period Kyoto, Japan. As a fan of classic samurai movies, this is a very neat thing to see being done for the game. The original Onimusha used Japanese and Chinese actor Takeshi Kaneshiro as the model for the series protagonist Samonoske, who also provided the voice and motion capture.

Details about the story of Onimusha: Way of the Sword are scarce for now, with only hints of what is happening to Miyamoto Mushashi in some of the reveal trailers. However, the plot of the game is said to have no direct connections to previous Onimusha media, other than the appearance of the Genma and the Oni Gauntlet. While there is a Netflix animated series called Onimusha that uses many of the same characteristics, it has no direct connection to anything story-related to the new game. Whether the game will tie into anything specific to previous games in the series is also not yet known.

Credit: Capcom

The trailers showing Musashi in action have given an idea of how he’ll interact with other characters and demonic foes he encounters. But nothing specific about why things are happening in Kyoto, or how the Genma came to be in this time frame. As the release draws near, there may be more details unveiled that will flesh out more of the plot that everyone can expect.

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Cutting down Genma

Modernizing Onimusha battles

The thing I’m most excited to see more of is the combat within Onimusha: Way of the Sword. It has many of the core elements from previous games, but is given an update and fresh look for the new game. And above all us, a better use of the camera for seeing where enemies are, and how brutal Musashi can take them down. Musashi will use a sword for most of his attacks, much like his predecessors from previous Onimusha games, but he will also gain access to other abilities from killing off Genma. Blocking, deflecting projectiles, and parrying attacks are important when clashing swords, which will enable Musashi to slice up enemies he encounters.

What’s interesting is the return of instant kills, which were important in combat throughout the series. Known as a Break Issen in Onimusha: Way of the Sword, parrying and deflecting attacks from lesser demons will drain their stamina enough to set them up for an instant-kill, while larger boss enemies can take massive damage. This is vital in the Onimusha series during combat when facing down groups of enemies that can get overwhelming, allowing players to maintain control of fights where things can get chaotic. From what has been shown so far, these moments where instant kills happen are going to look flashy and very gory.

Credit: Capcom

Of course, defeating Genma in an Onimusha game also means collecting soul orbs they leave behind. Like before, Musashi will be gathering orbs to increase his health and magic power, as well as enhance his weapons to use against them. Blue orbs will keep magic abundant to utilize powerful special attacks for damaging anything in his way. Some of the special attacks shown in gameplay trailers are reminiscent of things seen in previous games, but with a much more devastating look to them.

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Ready for the grand return

I really cannot wait for the release of Onimusha: Way of the Sword. AS a long-time fan of the series, it’s great to witness a revival of the franchise in a big way that many have been yearning for over the years. The game looks fantastic with its presentation, and the gameplay appears to be action-packed and fun. It’s been far too long since Onimusha was put into the spotlight by Capcom, and 2026 will finally be the year we see its resurgence as one of the best franchises that the company ever created.

Systems

Released 2026

ESRB Rating Pending

Developer(s) Capcom

Publisher(s) Capcom

Engine RE Engine

Genre(s) Action, Adventure, RPG