Team Ninja has had a rather busy start to the year.Last week’s Xbox Developer Directsaw Team Ninja make a surprise appearance, where it finally announced the existence ofNinja Gaiden 4and shadow-droppedNinja Gaiden 2 Black, an Unreal Engine 5 remaster of the original 2008 game. And as if that wasn’t enough, Team Ninja has just announced that last year’sRise of the Roninwill be coming to PC very soon.
Originally released in March 2024 as a PlayStation 5 exclusive,Rise of the Roninis an open-world action-RPG that sees players take control of a custom wandering warrior as they slice their way through 19th century Japan.Rise of the Roninis coming to Steam on June 05, 2025, a release date that might put it in direct competition with one of the year’s biggest releases.
Rise of the Ronin’s March PC Release Date Puts It In Proximity to Another Open-World Samurai Game
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Releases Just Nine Days After Rise of the Ronin
At least on the surface,Assassin’s Creed ShadowsandRise of the Roninare quite similar games. Both games are set in historical versions of Japan, albeit set a few hundred years apart, withAC Shadowstaking place in the mid-16th century, whileRise of the Roninis set in the mid-19th century. Regardless of the different periods, however,AC ShadowsandRise of the Roninshare some very similar architecture and environments.
Fans also expect to see similar ronin character archetypes inAssassin’s Creed Shadows, withNaoe being a stealthy shinobiand Yasuke being a deadly samurai. Similar weaponry will also be present across the two games, both giving players katanas and larger Odachi-like bladed weapons.
Both games also belong to the same open-world action-RPG genre, and naturally, their gameplay loops share some similar elements. Though not all of the details have been revealed aboutAssassin’s Creed Shadows' open-world, it’s certain to contain plenty of side activities, some of which could bear some similarities toRise of the Ronin’s. Both titles' melee-focused combat is also not dissimilar from one another, both encouraging parries and ripostes.
Rise of the Ronin’s PC Release Might Be a Tough Sell
Many gamers probably only have room for one sprawling open-world action-RPG set in historical Japan this March, andRise of the Roninmight find it difficult to convince players it should be that title.Rise of the Roninhad generally favorable reviewson launch, but it wasn’t quite a must-play title. It’s also far from being an exciting new AAA release.
Rise of the Ronin’s PC portwill obviously ensure that the game reaches a much wider audience, and its PC-exclusive features like 8K resolution, 120FPS, and NVIDIA DLSS support will all be welcome additions. ButRise of the Roninmight still have a tough time persuading players to choose it overAssassin’s Creed Shadows, a game that inherently has more brand recognition, and a game that’s completely new.Rise of the Roninmight have been better off either beatingAssassin’s Creed Shadowsto the punch by releasing a month earlier, or delaying its PC port until later in the year when the hype surroundingShadowshas presumably worn off.
Rise of the Ronin
WHERE TO PLAY
FORGE YOUR FATE IN THIS EPIC NEW SAMURAI ACTION ADVENTURE Embark on an epic journey across war-torn 19th-century Japan in this combat-focused open-world action RPG from Team NINJA, the veteran studio behind Nioh and NINJA GAIDEN.Japan, 1863. After three centuries of the Tokugawa Shogunate’s reign, the Black Ships of the West descend upon the nation’s borders and the country falls into a state of turmoil. Amidst the chaos of war, disease, and political unrest, a nameless warrior forges their own path, holding the very fate of Japan in their hands
