Summary
PlatinumGames' next title could end up being another live service game likeBabylon’s Fall. One of the premier action game studios in the industry,PlatinumGamesmade a name for itself in the 2010s with widely celebrated titles likeMetal Gear Rising: Revengeance, theBayonettaseries, andNier: Automata.While independent, Platinum has been known to collaborate with many of Japan’s largest publishers, such as Square Enix, Sega, and Nintendo.
Three years after its latest major release, the Nintendo Switch exclusiveBayonetta 3, PlatinumGames made a surprise appearance at Xbox’s Developer Direct earlier this year. It was during the presentation that Xbox revealed thatPlatinumGames is collaborating with Team Ninja, another widely adored action studio, onNinja Gaiden 4. The next big mainline installment in the beloved ninja action franchise is due out sometime later this year, and many fans of the series are thrilled to have PlatinumGames' fingerprints on it.
A new job posting seems to have provided a glimpse into PlatinumGames' futurebeyondNinja Gaiden 4. Platinumposted on Japanese job site HRMOSlooking for a game designer who has “online action game” and “open field game” experience. WithNinja Gaiden 4, a linear single-player game, looking to roll out this year, this new job posting clearly seems to be about PlatinumGames' future.
PlatinumGames Looking for a Game Designer with “Online Action Game” Experience
Currently, the only known project Platinum is working on alongsideNinja Gaiden 4is Project GG. Not much is known about Project GG aside from it being connected to former PlatinumGames leader Hideki Kamiya’s superhero passion projectsViewtiful JoeandThe Wonderful 101. Even if Project GG is still in active development at Platinum after Kamiya’s 2023 departure, which isn’t likely considering its recent removal from the studio’s website, it doesn’t seem like the type of game to offer a live service open world experience based on the two games it’s spiritually connected to.
There’s also the possibility of a thirdNiertitle. It’s been four years sinceSquare Enix’sNier Replicantremasterand even longer since Platinum’sNier: Automata. Fans of the series have been hungry for more, especially duringNier’s 15th anniversary this year. This job listing could potentially mean Platinum and Square are looking to take a big risk with an online open-worldNiergame. Considering how poorly 2022’s live service title,Babylon’s Fall,went over, and the fact that the large majority ofNierfans likely wouldn’t care for a live serviceNierinstallment, this doesn’t seem like it’ll be the case.
While there’s a lot to wonder about concerning what’s next from PlatinumGames,Ninja Gaiden 4is right around the cornerlater in 2025, and the game is looking to round out Team Ninja’s “Year of the Ninja.” This began with the shadow-droppedNinja Gaiden 2 Blackremaster after the aforementioned Xbox Developer Direct, and is looking to continue withNinja Gaiden: Ragebound, a 2D action platformer from theBlasphemousdevelopers coming sometime this summer.
