While developer ArtPlay has been quiet about Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement following the title’s announcement last year, series creator Koji Igarashi has announced with a new video that the studio has officially kicked off the final stages of development for the game. This also means that its release has been pushed back from its previously planned 2026 window to 2027.
“Today, I would like to share with you some information about our new title, Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement. We have made the decision to move the game’s release to the year 2027. Currently, the development of the game has entered its final stages.”
Igarashi went on to say that the team will be getting ready to showcase gameplay footage from Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement soon. He also apologized to fans of the Bloodstained series for the delay. “We understand that this is disappointing news for our fans, but everyone on the development team is working hard to make the game the best it can be. We sincerely appreciate your continued support.”
Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement was unveiled with a trailer during a State of Play showcase in June 2025. The title is slated to be built on top of the foundations that were laid down by 2019’s Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. While not too many details have been revealed yet, the studio has confirmed that it will once again be a metroidvania title that melds side-scrolling platforming with fast-paced combat and epic boss fights, much like its predecessor.
The story of Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement is also slated to be directly connected to Ritual of the Night, taking place an undisclosed number of years before its events. This also means that there’s a new protagonist – Leo – who is teaming up with the Black Wolves to storm the Ethereal Castle.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night was developed after a successful Kickstarter campaign to fund the game. The title puts players in the shoes of Miriam – an orphan who has been cursed by an alchemist. To save herself from this curse, which is slowly crystallizing throughout her body, Miriam has to fight her way through a demon-infested castle summoned by her old friend, Gebel.
Alongside the game itself, ArtPlay also released plenty of additional content for it in the form of 13 free DLCs. These include, among other things, a Speed Run mode and a Boss Rush mode, as well as a host of costumes for Miriam.
The DLCs also introduced additional playable characters that massively change how the entire game’s progression works, with these new characters having their own sets of weapons and abilities that they use to fight their way through the castle.
Ritual of the Night is also noteworthy for its visual style, which makes use of a 2.5D aesthetic melding distinct layers of 3D objects that make up the backgrounds, as well as the character models themselves also being 3D.
For more details on Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, which is available on PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, check out our review.
