Team Ninja is back with Nioh 3 — and this time it brings two complete playstyles: Samurai and Ninja. Set in 17th-century Japan with time travel across 4 historical eras, the game released on February 6, 2026 and has already surpassed 1 million sales. Metacritic 86/100, IGN 9/10 — a soulslike you can't afford to miss.
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Two Playstyles: Samurai vs Ninja
Nioh 3's biggest innovation is the introduction of two entirely different combat styles you can freely switch between.
Samurai
Three stances (High/Mid/Low), Ki Pulse for stamina recovery, new parrying system, Arts Proficiency gauge for devastating attacks.
Ninja
Fast, evasion-focused combat. Aerial attacks, 3 ninja tools instead of stances, and the unique “Mist” system — create a clone, dash behind the enemy, devastating damage.
Free Switching
Switch from Samurai to Ninja at will. The two styles don't share equipment but complement each other beautifully.
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Guardian Spirits & Soul Cores
Guardian spirit transformations, Soul Cores, and yokai abilities return from Nioh 2.
Time Travel Across 4 Eras of Japan
You play as Tokugawa Takechiyo, grandchild of Tokugawa Ieyasu, who must become Shogun. Through the guardian spirit Kusanagi, you travel to four eras: Edo (1622), Sengoku (1572), Heian (1190), and Bakumatsu (1864). Each era brings new enemies, historical characters, and environments.
Larger Exploration Spaces
Unlike previous Nioh games, the third has larger, more open spaces. Find side quests, optional combat challenges, and points of interest as you explore.
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Multiplayer Modes
Nioh 3 offers two online modes: Summon Visitor (call another player for help with boss fights) and Expedition (explore the open fields together). Two DLCs are planned with new stories and weapons: the first by September 2026, the second by February 2027.
"We wanted to create a new kind of action that would act as a major centerpiece marking the evolution of the Nioh gameplay formula. The popularity of ninjas internationally and our experience with Ninja Gaiden led us to this decision."
— Fumihiko Yasuda, General Producer, Team Ninja
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Reviews & Sales
Nioh 3 received excellent reviews: IGN 9/10, GameSpot 9/10, GamesRadar 4.5/5, PC Gamer 90/100. With Metacritic 86/100 (PS5) and 94% recommend on OpenCritic, it's the highest-rated Nioh to date. On Steam, it hit 88,045 concurrent players — double Nioh 2's record. It surpassed 1 million sales in just 2 weeks, bringing the franchise total to 10 million.
Team Ninja: A Legacy of Action
From Ninja Gaiden to Nioh, from Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty to Rise of the Ronin — Team Ninja is one of the world's top action game developers. Nioh 3 is the first in the series without Sony as publisher — Koei Tecmo handles everything.