Capcom has officially announced that the release of Onimusha: Way of the Sword is being moved up from its previous September 25th date to earlier in the month – on September 4th. This new release date applies to all platforms – PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2 – and the company has also announced that the game’s pre-order bonus is becoming an “early adopter bonus” that will be available until September 24th at 11:59pm local time on consoles, and September 25th at 4:59pm PT on Steam and Epic Games Store.
The company has also confirmed that the demo for Onimusha: Way of the Sword will be getting an update to reflect this earlier release date for the full game. However, it has warned that this update will not contain any new content. Furthermore, those who have completed the demo will continue to get the associated bonus items in the full game when it comes out.
This confirmation comes just a few weeks after rumors indicated that Capcom might move its release date. At the time, Canadian retailer website PNP Games had listings indicating that pre-orders would be shipped out on September 4th. Interestingly, in response to these rumors, Capcom insisted that it was sticking to its September 25th release plans.
The confirmation came from director Nihei Satoru, who also showcased some new gameplay revealing new Genma – Dohatsu-ten – who seems to be an original creation by the game’s development team rather than being a Genma based on Japanese folklore, as has been Onimusha franchise tradition.
Moving the release date of Onimusha: Way of the Sword will likely have some ripple effects for the rest of the gaming industry when it comes to September releases. Among other things, it allows Capcom to avoid overlapping with the release of Remedy Entertainment’s Control Resonant, which is slated for September 24th. Horror title Silent Hill: Townfall is also slated for September 24th.
The new release date also happens to conflict with other titles coming out at around the same time. Chief among these is Rebel Wolves’ open-world RPG The Blood of Dawnwalker, which is coming to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S on September 3rd.
The story of Onimusha: Way of the Sword will revolve around a young Miyamoto Musashi who, through a series of events, gets pulled into some fantastical events that have him facing demonic creatures, called Genma, that have started attacking Edo-era Kyoto. To deal with this threat, Musashi has to make full use of his Oni Gauntlet, which gives him additional abilities, as well as a companion in the form of a voice that sometimes answers his questions.
A demo for Onimusha: Way of the Sword is currently available on all platforms and features an early part of the game. However, there have been a few criticisms about the demo that largely revolve around its difficulty levels. Capcom has noted that players might find it on the easier side thanks to the fact that the demo gives Musashi abilities that he wouldn’t typically have at this point in the game. The game’s director has expressed confidence in the game’s difficulty curve for its full release.
