The upcoming action RPG CODE VEIN II will use different terminology for its undead protagonists depending on the version. Director Hiroshi Yoshimura has confirmed that the Japanese release will replace the term “Revenants” with “Kyuuketsuki” (vampires), while English and other overseas versions will keep the original name.

In a media interview with Famitsu, Yoshimura explained that this change connects to the game’s updated story. The sequel takes a different approach to its world-building compared to the first CODE VEIN. In the original game, Revenants were humans brought back to life through bioengineering – specifically by implanting a special parasite. However, CODE VEIN II treats these beings as naturally occurring within its world rather than artificially created.

The word revenant comes from English and means “one that returns after death or a long absence.” Yoshimura noted that while this definition still fits CODE VEIN II’s characters, Japanese players familiar with the first game would likely associate the term with the bioengineered undead from that story. Since the word revenant doesn’t carry much meaning for Japanese audiences on its own, the development team decided a more direct term would better communicate the concept.

Trailers for CODE VEIN II already reflect this split: Japanese versions use Kyuuketsuki while English versions continue to use Revenant. The spoken dialogue in-game will also follow this pattern, though there’s no official word yet on how subtitles will handle the difference when playing with Japanese audio in other languages. CODE VEIN II launches on January 29 for PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.