PARIS (June 9, 2025) – Publisher Dotemu (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, Streets of Rage 4) and developer The Game Kitchen (Blasphemous series) today released the first-ever playable demo of NINJA GAIDEN: Ragebound, the 2D sidescrolling action platformer that inherits the legacy of KOEI TECMO GAMES' NINJA GAIDEN series, embarking on a new adventure. Ninjas can get the jump on slaying demonic evil by downloading the demo on Steam, as part of the Steam Next Fest (June 9 - 16). NINJA GAIDEN: Ragebound’s full digital release is scheduled for July 31 on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and Xbox. (https://store.steampowered.com/app/2542120/NINJA_GAIDEN_Ragebound/)
Trailer: https://youtu.be/II9CmTRac8M
NINJA GAIDEN: Ragebound’s Demo Features:
- A Dojo-style Tutorial: Master the basics of your ninja abilities and actions under the watchful eye of your master, Ryu Hayabusa, preparing yourself to spar with scores of enemies in the high-stakes clashes ahead.
- Three Wholly Unique Stages:
- Seized by Dark Forces: Rise to defend the Hayabusa Clan's decimated home from a sudden otherworldly demonic invasion, battling through blazing buildings and an exhilarating showdown against a winged, fire-breathing colossus.
- Entwined Fates: Meet Kumori, the second playable character in NINJA GAIDEN: Ragebound, in a trial spanning cliffsides and a bloodsoaked lake. Swapping between two distinctly powerful ninjas and their skillsets is the only hope of clearing the traps, pitfalls and formidable leviathans that await.
- Into the Catacombs: Dash across rooftops and clear demonic intruders from interior rooms and the castle’s underground chambers. Should you survive the descent and reach the demo’s end, you’ll catch a first glimpse of the mighty, earth-shattering challenger that stands as Odawara Castle’s final encounter in the full version of the game.
- A Hardened Challenge: Ninjas who complete the demo will unlock a Hard variant of the Seized by Dark Forces stage, gaining a first taste of the boldest level of challenge in store for players within the full release of NINJA GAIDEN: Ragebound.
NINJA GAIDEN: Ragebound begins immediately after the opening moments of the original NES NINJA GAIDEN. The veil between the human and demon realms has broken, leaving the world linked with a gate to darkness. Since Ryu Hayabusa leaves the Hayabusa Village to avenge his father, Kenji Mozu, a fledgling Hayabusa Clan ninja central to NINJA GAIDEN: Ragebound, must rise to slay the forces of evil.
Kenji’s destiny is intertwined with Kumori, a fearsome new kunoichi hailing from the antagonistic Black Spider Clan central to the NINJA GAIDEN series. Kenji and Kumori must overcome the generational grudges between their clans and use forbidden techniques to merge their powers and survive the battles ahead, binding their fates together to share a test of soul and skill while maximizing their talents.
Kenji and Kumori’s high-stakes quest develops with show-stopping fights against powerful, boss-caliber behemoths. With upgradable abilities, hidden collectibles, unlockable secret missions, optional challenges and more, NINJA GAIDEN: Ragebound is an engrossing modernization of the tense, satisfyingly swift battles and precise, skill-demanding platforming the series is known for.
NINJA GAIDEN: Ragebound features exquisite pixel art, evoking the classic 2D games while bringing lush environments and a menacing cast of enemies to life in striking, wonderfully intricate detail. The dynamic action pairs with a pitch-perfect soundtrack featuring contributions from guest composers, coalescing into an unforgettable adventure.
Special guest composers Keiji Yamagishi, Ryuichi Niita and Kaori Nakabai—creators of the original NES NINJA GAIDEN trilogy’s soundtracks—have contributed to NINJA GAIDEN: Ragebound. Leading the soundtrack is Sergio de Prado, best known for his work on the acclaimed Blasphemous series.
To get the drop on all future NINJA GAIDEN: Ragebound updates, wishlist the game on Steam (https://store.steampowered.com/app/2542120/NINJA_GAIDEN_Ragebound/), visit https://www.dotemu.com/ and follow @Dotemu and @TheGameKitchen on X.
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About Dotemu
Dotemu is a French video game company specializing in bringing back the best video games and legendary pop culture licenses on PC and modern consoles, to create experiences carefully crafted for fans around the world.
The Dotemu team has published and developed a number of global top-sellers across both PC and console including the award-winning games Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, Streets of Rage 4, Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap. Other great development and publishing work from Dotemu includes Metal Slug Tactics, Windjammers 1 and 2, Pharaoh: A New Era and more. Dotemu is currently working on NINJA GAIDEN: Ragebound, Absolum and unannounced projects planned for 2025 and beyond.
Learn more at http://www.dotemu.com.
About The Game Kitchen
Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Seville, The Game Kitchen is a Spanish studio united by a mission to develop games that the entire team finds meaningful and exciting to create. Driven by a shared pursuit of excellence and prioritization of work-life balance, The Game Kitchen prioritizes the health of its team above all else while striving to design the next great adventure.
The Game Kitchen is well known for their terror point-and-click adventure The Last Door (2013) and for their best-selling brutal Metroidvanias Blasphemous (2019) and Blasphemous 2 (2023). The studio has recently announced The Stone of Madness, a tactical stealth adventure coming early 2025.
ABOUT KOEI TECMO GAMES
KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD. is a subsidiary of KOEI TECMO HOLDINGS CO., LTD., headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. KOEI TECMO GAMES consists of seven development brands creating innovative and iconic game series extending across a wide range of genres: KOU SHIBUSAWA, ω-Force, Team NINJA, Gust, Ruby Party, midas and AAA Studio. Signature series include ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS, NOBUNAGA’S AMBITION, DYNASTY WARRIORS, SAMURAI WARRIORS, Nioh, NINJA GAIDEN, DEAD OR ALIVE, Atelier and NeoRomance.
ABOUT Team NINJA
Team NINJA is one of KOEI TECMO GAMES' seven brands, specializing in action games grounded in three central tenets: gameplay feel, immersion and intensity. This philosophy is evident throughout the studio’s catalogue, whether it be the pure action of Ninja Gaiden; the fighting game series Dead or Alive; the action RPGs Nioh and Wo Long; or the open-world epic Rise of the Ronin.