Summary
Until its announcement last year,Ghost of Yoteiwas one of the most highly anticipated games in recent memory, though many fans likely expected it to be more of a direct sequel to 2020’sGhost of Tsushimathan it seems to be. Rather than continuing the story of Jin Sakai from its predecessor,Ghost of Yoteiis introducing a brand-new protagonist in Atsu, whose homeland was destroyed and family killed, making her tale one of what Sucker Punch has referred to as “underdog vengeance.”
Despite the unexpected direction Sucker Punch has chosen to take the franchise withGhost of Yotei, it is still a long-awaited game that is likely to make a big splash once it launches. Currently, it has only been confirmed thatGhost of Yoteiwill launch in 2025, and apart from a somewhat minor update to its story on the game’s official website, the last time anything was revealed about it was in September 2024 via its announcement trailer. Nevertheless,Ghost of Yoteistill seems to be on track for launch this year, and its release could actually come sooner than one might think.
When Ghost of Yotei Might Launch
Ghost of Yotei May Launch in Summer 2025
Historically, summer release dates haven’t been preferable for major games, as people are generally distracted during summer with vacations and irregular schedules, and the latter half of the year has proven to be more profitable due to the holidays. However, more developers have been opting for summer release dates in the last five years or so, withGhost of Yotei’s predecessor,Ghost of Tsushima, being one of those. Some of this may be due to theCOVID-19 pandemicforcing people to adjust their schedules long-term and commit more time to gaming, but it has also simply been viewed as an opportunity to stand out during a season when there is little competition.
Ghost of Yoteistill seems to be on track for launch this year, and its release could actually come sooner than one might think.
In light of that,Ghost of Yoteimay launch this summer — specifically, in July. Evenrumors aboutGhost of Yotei’s release datesuggest it could launch in July 2025, which would make sense givenGhost of Tsushimalaunched in July 2020. It would also allow it to capitalize on the hype surroundingDeath Stranding 2’s release, which is currently slated for June 23, 2025. Finally, it would be sooner than fans might expect, and therefore a nice surprise. All in all, it seems more likely than not thatGhost of Yoteiwill launch in July of this year, perhaps even August.
If Any Later, Ghost of Yotei Will Likely Launch in Fall 2025
IfGhost of Yoteidoes choose to launch later than Summer 2025, it could target aFall 2025 release windowinstead. While a Summer 2025 release window might suit it better, the biggest game it currently has to compete with this fall isBorderlands 4, and since the two games are starkly different from one another, one might say they aren’t competitors at all.Ghost of Yoteimay prefer to stake its claim on Fall 2025 before many other games do, and it certainly wouldn’t hurt its reputation to do so.
Ghost of Yoteihas been in development for several years now, and since Sony previously committed to not launching anymore first-party titles until after April 2025, it has likely been waiting long enough to launch the next entry in Sucker Punch’sGhostfranchise and therefore presumably won’t wait much longer.
Regardless ofwhenGhost of Yoteilaunches, its release timing will still be indicative of how Sucker Punch plans to navigate the market with its unexpectedGhostentry. A summer launch would giveGhost of Yoteiroom to breathe and capitalize on a much quieter window, while a fall release might let lead the charge during this year’s holiday season. Either way, the anticipation surroundingGhost of Yoteiis only likely to grow as more details are disclosed, and whether it’s July or October, it already feels like one of 2025’s biggest releases is just around the corner.
