Sony’s State of Play broadcast on September 24 included a bunch of big news, but perhaps the most significant announcement came at the end when Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Tsushima sequel was revealed. The sequel is not Ghost of Tsushima 2, or Ghost of Twoshima, as some envisioned. Instead, Sucker Punch is making a sequel in the form of Ghost of Yotei, which features a new hero and a different time period.
In this post, we’re rounding up everything we know about Ghost of Yotei, including its release window, story, characters, and setting.
When will Ghost of Yotei be released?
Ghost of Yotei is in the works for PlayStation 5 and is set for release at some point in 2025. A specific release date has not been announced, however. The first game, Ghost of Tsushima, was released in July 2020.
Preorder Ghost of Yotei sequel
Ghost of Yotei was only just announced on September 24 and is not yet available to preorder.
Ghost of Yotei trailer
The first trailer for Ghost of Yotei was released during the September PlayStation State of Play briefing. The impressive three-minute trailer began with an ominous-sounding voiceover setting things up. “We are beyond the edge of Japan. People come north to disappear,” a character says, before the trailer shows Mount Yotei and reveals a year in time–1603. “But you, you are hunting, and now, every ronin here is after you.” The trailer then introduces Ghost of Yotei’s main character, Atsu, before diving into a montage of sorts showing all manner of environments, people, and places players will journey throughout the game, along with some of the weapons like swords and rifles from Feudal Japan.
“Our trailer offers a glimpse into this world, but there’s so much more to show, and we’ll have much more to share in the months ahead, including details about Atsu’s journey and the people (and animals) she’ll meet along the way,” the developer said.
Ghost of Yotei platforms
Ghost of Yotei is coming to PlayStation 5. It is Sucker Punch’s first game “built from the ground up” for the PS5. “We’re excited to build on the visual foundation we established in Ghost of Tsushima by making the world feel even more real,” the developer said.
Players can expect “massive sightlines,” new skies featuring auroras and twinkling stars, and “more believable movement” from how the wind hits grass and vegetations. The developer said the new setting also provides the team an opportunity to utilize “new mechanics, gameplay improvements, and even new weapons.”
Sucker Punch did not mention how Ghost of Yotei might take advantage of the increased power of the PS5 Pro, or if the game could ever release on PC.
Ghost of Yotei story, setting, and characters
Ghost of Yotei is set in 1603, which is more than 300 years after the events of Ghost of Tsushima. That means the first game’s hero, Jin, is not featured in this game. Sucker Punch said it wanted to make something “fresh but familiar,” and this meant looking beyond Jin and the island of Tsushima.
“At Sucker Punch we love origin stories, and we wanted to explore what it could mean to have a new hero wearing a Ghost mask, and uncovering a new legend. This led us to Ghost of Yotei: a new protagonist, a new story to unfold, and a new region of Japan to explore,” the studio said.
Sucker Punch went on to say it is holding back specifics on the story for the time being. But what it can say is that the game takes place in the lands surrounding Mount Yotei, a massive mountain in Ezo, which today is known as Hokkaido.
“In 1603, this area was outside the rule of Japan, and filled with sprawling grasslands, snowy tundras, and unexpected dangers. It’s a far cry from the organized samurai clans who lived in Tsushima, and it’s the setting for an original story we can’t wait to tell,” Sucker Punch said.
Sucker Punch’s Nate Fox told The New York Times that, upon visiting Shiretoko National Park, where he recorded nature sounds for the game, he witnessed the beauty and danger therein.
“Inside the park, you have to watch a video telling you about the dangers of bears,” Fox said. “Being in this incredibly beautiful park with jagged cliffs and water, yet all the time being aware there were dangerous bears, was electrifying. We strive to bring that into the video game–that feeling of danger.”
Atsu is portrayed by Erika Ishii (Apex Legends, Mortal Kombat 1) in Ghost of Yotei.
I’ve dreamed of this my entire life. But I still can’t believe I’m part of art like this.
I am the Ghost of Yōtei. https://t.co/W07Sy1jKEW
— Erika Ishii (@erikaishii) September 24, 2024
Is Ghost of Yotei open-world?
Ghost of Yotei is an open-world game, and that came with its own set of unique challenges. Jason Connell, the co-creative director, told The New York Times, “One challenge that comes with making an open-world game is the repetitive nature of doing the same thing over again.”
Players will have access to a variety of weaponry, including melee weapons like a katana as well as firearms. “We wanted to balance against that and find unique experiences,” Connell said.
Ghost of Yotei is coming to PS5 in 2025
Who’s developing Ghost of Yotei?
Sucker Punch, the team that made Ghost of Tsushima, is returning to develop Ghost of Yotei.
Ghost of Yotei development news
Sucker Punch said when it was considering a sequel to Ghost of Tsushima, the team wanted to “maintain the core pillars” from the first game. That meant taking on the role of a warrior in Feudal Japan, giving players the opportunity to explore the world at their own pace and experience the world’s beauty.
Fox told The New York Times, “When we started working on a sequel, the first question we asked ourselves is, ‘What is the DNA of a Ghost game?.'” “It is about transporting the player to the romance and beauty of feudal Japan.”
Ghost of Tsushima was a huge hit for PlayStation, selling 13 million copies, according to The New York Times, so it was likely only a matter of time before a sequel was confirmed. The paper also reported that “other spinoffs” are in the works.
Ghost of Tsushima movie
In addition to Ghost of Yotei, Sony is making a Ghost of Tsushima movie via its PlayStation Productions division. PlayStation boss Hermen Hulst told The New York Times that these kind of transmedia efforts are just good business when done right.
“From a business perspective it makes a lot of sense,” he said. “When a television series or movie comes out, people are inspired to play again or make friends to play.”
John Wick director Chad Stahelski is attached to direct the Ghost of Tsushima movie, though there haven’t been any significant updates on the film in some time. In November 2023, Stahelski said making a movie is “always tricky,” but that, at the time, the team was “very close to getting our sh** together…”
Stahelski is attached to a number of upcoming projects, including the Ghosts of Tsushima movie, a Highlander film, and a Rainbow Six film. He said the two that are the “closest” and that he’s most interested in right now are the Highlander and Ghost of Tsushima projects.
“Both amazing, amazing properties, the story of Ghost is, also, one of my favorite properties of all time,” he said. Whether or not Stahelski makes Highlander or Ghosts of Tsushima first remains to be seen.
Among other things, Stahelski is working on how they can “push the color palette” on the Ghost of Tsushima movie. “How can you bring that world to life in a very realistic and grounded way?” he said.
Before this, Stahelski said the success of HBO’s The Last of Us TV series demonstrates that a good video game adaptation “can be done.”
