During The Game Awards on December 7, which was actually just as much about ‘world premiere’ announcements than it was actual awards this year, Team Ninja finally revealed the specific release date for its upcoming PS5 exclusive Rise of the Ronin. The Ninja Gaiden series developer’s strange mix of Ghost of Tsushima, Dark Souls, and Assassin’s Creed is easily its most ambitious title yet, and it looks like we won’t have to wait too much longer to check it out. The Rise of the Ronin PS5 release date is on the way.
When it comes to all the new PS5 games on the way in the next handful of months, Rise of the Ronin really is one you should be keeping a close eye on. Set during the Boshin War of 1868 and 1869, this hack and slash draws from some of the best open world games we’ve seen in the last decade, the best RPG games out there right now, and Team Ninja’s extensive experience developing incredible action games like Nioh 2 and Wo Long Fallen Dynasty. If you’re a fan of some of the best soulslike games on PS5, too, you might just notice some similarities. So, with all that in mind and the new trailer looking fantastic, it’s safe to say that this game has the potential to be one of the best PS5 games of 2024 and a PS5 exclusive well worth adding to your Game Library.
Although, while that’s all fun to think about, the question of when this game actually comes out still remains; when is the Rise of the Ronin release date exactly?
Well, as you can see towards the end of the fantastic new trailer below, Rise of the Ronin is set to be available on PlayStation 5 consoles from March 22, 2024 – which really is a lot closer than it sounds.
If you’re already sold and you want to get your hands on some of the Rise of the Ronin pre-order bonuses, which include four additional combat styles for the katana and naginata weapons alongside the Iga Ninja’s armor set and Iga Ninja’s katana cosmetic, you can do so via the PlayStation Store from December 14 – just days after this confirmation. The Digital Deluxe Edition of Rise of the Ronin also comes with both the Bando Warrior Armor and Japanese Formal Wear cosmetic sets, the Iga Ninja’s staff, the Toyokuni paired swords, and both a digital art book and a digital soundtrack.
You can check out what all of those exclusive in-game rewards look like below:
Rise of the Ronin may have a very established story rooted in real-world history, one that involves the fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate and the attempts at modernization from Ryoma Sakamoto and Shoin Yoshida (among others) following that, but it’s going to be much more free than you might think.
You’re going to be able to create a custom character, interact with the game’s numerous factions in your own way, and shape your ronin’s own journey through the choices you make – and, we can imagine, the choices you don’t make. So, unlike Sucker Punch Productions’ Ghost of Tsushima – which tells a very specific story about fallen samurai Jin Sakai and his fight against invading Mongols – this tale of a ronin (which is a samurai without a lord or master) in the late-Edo period is going to feel a lot freer and – with any luck – will give players who want a bit more agency in these sorts of games exactly that.
If you’re looking forward to checking out Rise of the Ronin in 2024, you may want to consider checking out some of the best PS5 SSD ahead of time. A game like this isn’t going to be a small one, and having enough internal storage space spare is never a bad thing.