Team Ninja and Koei Tecmo have officially announced Nioh 3 during today’s State of Play presentation. The dark fantasy action RPG will launch on PlayStation 5 and PC (Steam) in early 2026, continuing the series’ journey through Japan’s chaotic Sengoku period.

To celebrate the announcement, a free limited-time demo is now available exclusively on PlayStation 5 through the PlayStation Store. Players can try the demo until June 18, giving both newcomers and series veterans a chance to experience the game’s new features.

The biggest change in Nioh 3 is the introduction of two distinct combat styles that players can switch between at any time during battle. The Samurai style feels similar to previous Nioh games but includes new mechanics like Arts Proficiency, which boosts martial arts power, and Deflect, allowing players to block attacks at the last second. This style focuses on intense face-to-face combat.

While, the Ninja style emphasizes speed and mobility. Players can dodge quickly, perform aerial attacks, and use various Ninjitsu techniques to strike from outside enemy range. Special moves include Mist, which creates a clone after attacking, and Evade for narrowly avoiding enemy strikes.

Moving away from the series’ traditional level-based structure, Nioh 3 introduces an open field system. This new approach maintains the series’ signature tension while offering more freedom to explore. The game world includes unexpected yokai encounters, mysterious villages hiding dark secrets, and challenging areas called The Crucible. Players can explore these hostile environments at their own pace while fighting to survive.

The current demo showcases the new combat styles and open field gameplay. It also includes an early version of the character creation system that was popular in previous games, though it’s still being developed. Team Ninja is actively seeking player feedback through a survey on their official website. The developers want input on the new battle styles, open field design, and general suggestions for improvement as they work toward creating what they call “the definitive title in the Nioh series.”

The demo runs until June 18, giving players about two weeks to try out the new features and provide feedback before the full game launches in early 2026.