In a press release published on its website to mark the announcement of Onimusha: Way of the Sword and the unnamed Okami sequel, Capcom has stated that in addition to the two newly-announced games, the company is also looking to revive even more dormant franchises that haven’t been active in a while.

“In addition to regularly releasing major new titles each year, Capcom is focusing on re-activating dormant IPs that haven’t had a new title launch recently,” the press release reads. “The company is working to further enhance corporate value by leveraging its rich library of content, which includes reviving past IPs like the two titles announced above, in order to continuously produce highly efficient, high-quality titles.”

The list of Capcom properties that have been MIA for years but also continue to have large fanbases hoping for a revival is long. Earlier this year, Capcom sent out a survey asking players if they would be interested in revivals of a number of dormant properties, and alongside Onimusha and Okami, several other Capcom franchises were also mentioned in the survey, alongside the likes of Dino Crisis, Breath of Fire, Dead Rising, Lost Planet, and more. Read more on that through here.

Of course, earlier this year, we got Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster, with more Dead Rising titles also once again potentially on the table, while Dragon’s Dogma 2 also launched this year, coming more than a decade after its predecessor. Clearly, then, Capcom is willing to bring more of its properties back from the dead, and hopefully, we’ll be seeing plenty more of that in the near future.

In an investor relations Q&A following its FY2021-22 financial results, the publisher was asked about plans to utilize its “dormant IP.” It replied, “We are currently putting together plans for our pipeline based on demand data from the market. Going forward, we will continue to take customers’ wishes into consideration while devising our title lineup.”

So while this isn’t a guarantee of long-awaited sequels finally coming to light, it seems that Capcom is at least evaluating the demand for the same. The company has a number of new IP in the works like Pragmata and ExoPrimal which are both slated to release in 2023.

In the short term, it’s looking to release Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak on June 30th for Nintendo Switch and PC, adding several new monsters along with a new region, Master Rank Quests, and new weapons and gear. Story DLC for Resident Evil Village is also in development though no release window has been given for the same. Stay tuned for more details in the meantime.

PORTAL 2

We could basically put the entire Valve catalog in here. The joke goes that Valve doesn’t know how to count beyond 2, and that can be applied to so many of the company’s properties. Portal, for instance, absolutely smashed it with its second instalment, delivering an instant masterpiece that was widely beloved by pretty much everyone who played it- and a lot of people have played it in the years since its launch. It’s widely regarded as one of the best games of its time, lauded for its clever gameplay and incredible writing (among other things), while commercially, it’s been quite a success too. And yet, with Valve focused on Steam and now the Steam Deck, it’s unlikely that Portal will continue. At least we recently got Aperture Desk Job though, so that’s something… right?

THE ORDER: 1886

There’s no denying that The Order: 1886 didn’t exactly do justice to its premise, but at the same time, this is the sort of premise that could really have come into its own if it had been given the chance to build on its foundation and learn from its mistakes. The 2015 title looked gorgeous and transported players to a vividly imaginative setting, and we would have loved to see that idea being expanded and built upon in a sequel that worked to address its predecessor’s issues.

Yami – Okami

The battle with Amaterasu’s archenemy Yami plays out over five different phases. Yami’s first form is akin to a sphere with an intricate glowing red design that can lash out with tendrils and launch missiles. Its second form takes on a greenish appearance which segregates into platforms and can use fire to attack. Hilariously, it becomes a kind of slot machine for its third phase while its fourth form is a yellow sphere that has legs and arms. All of this culminates in a giant claw extending from the sphere while the arena is covered in darkness, missiles and lasers.

Along with changing the overall look of one’s Palamute, the layered armor also confers special effects like leaving a trail of flowers and sprouting grass wherever Amaterasu sprints. Along with her default Divine Retribution Reflector, Amaterasu also gets the Tsumugari Glaive to wield in battle. The player can also have a Celestial Brush, which could be a new event-specific weapon.

More details on the event quest have yet to be revealed so stay tuned. Players can also use their save data from Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin in Monster Hunter Rise to unlock the “Rider” layered armor set, which makes your character in the latter look like the protagonist of the former.

Okami is a prime example of a game where its commercial performance doesn’t even come close to doing justice to how good the game itself was. Often considered one of the best games of its time by many, Okami was a commercial failure for Capcom when it first launched- though thankfully, subsequent re-releases for various platforms helped the game sell much more, so that in its current state, it can no longer be deemed a commercial failure.

Now, leaked sales data from Capcom (who’ve had to deal with no shortage of leaks these past couple of weeks) has revealed how much the game’s most recent re-release, Okami HD, sold across every platform (via ResetEra). Unsurprisingly, the Nintendo Switch is the platform the game performed the best on.

On the Switch, Okami HD sold 600,000 units, with the PC and PS3 trailing behind with approximately 536,000 and 529,000 units sold respectively. On the PS4, the game sold 445,000 units, while the Xbox One was (unsurprisingly, once again), the lowest selling version of the game, with 121,000 units sold.

When it launched on the PS2 and Wii, Okami sold roughly 600,000 units in total (300k on each), which would mean that the Nintendo Switch version of the game is the highest selling, period.

Whether or not we ever get to see a sequel remains to be seen. It remains in high demand, and there’s certainly been interest in the industry (outside of Capcom, at least) for a sequel. Earlier this year, a leak claimed that Okami 2 had once been in development with PlatinumGames and Capcom working together, but troubles during production led to the project being cancelled.

Ghost of Tsushima

The initial skirmish between the Samurai clans and Mongol army doesn’t really go well with pretty much everyone killed, save for Jin’s uncle Lord Shimura. Jin himself would have been a goner if not for Yuuna. And while he doesn’t necessarily wallop Khotun Khan in their first encounter, it does mark the beginning of his terrifying reign as the Ghost.

Ikumi Nakamura shot to fame when she announced Bethesda and Tango Gameworks’ upcoming GhostWire: Tokyo at E3 2019, a project she was attached to as creative director. And though she left Tango not long afterward, Nakamura still has her eye on some interesting projects.

Apparently, she particularly wants to help make Okami 2 happen. Speaking in an interview with IGN Japan (which you can view below), Nakamura said (as relayed by her translator) that she feels there’s “still a lot to tell in that universe” and would be happy to be attached to the project in any capacity.

Interestingly enough, as per her translator, Nakamura plans on pitching an Okami sequel to Capcom one the COVID-19 crisis has died down, and she says she wants Hideki Kamiya – director of the first Okami, who is, of course, now at PlatinumGames – to direct the game.

“Regarding Okami, that’s actually the project she wants to make a reality the most,” Nakamura’s translator said (via Nintendo Everything). “As long as she goes after it, she has a feeling the chances are pretty high that it might become a reality. After quarantine is over and the world becomes normal again, she is planning to make a visit to Capcom and propose the idea, but for her the most important thing is that if it would happen, she wants Kamiya-san to direct it again.”

If reports are to be believed, an Okami 2 was actually in development a few years ago thanks to a partnership between Capcom and PlatinumGames. Reportedly, however, the project’s development was was mired by “drama and burned bridges”, and the consequently strained relationship between Capcom and Platinum led to the project being scrapped. You can read the full report through here.

Whether or not Nakamura actually ends up pitching an Okami sequel to Capcom and whether or not they actually go for it if she does (with Kamiya involved, no less) remains to be seen, but there’s no doubt that that’s a dream scenario for many people. Keep your fingers crossed, I guess.

Capcom’s Okami remains one of the most beloved games they’ve ever made, and that’s largely down to the fact that it was not just an amazing experience back when it first launched- thanks to its timeless nature, it is still as stunning today as it was when it first released. Demand for a sequel to the game has been high for years on end now, but if you’re among those who’ve added their voices to that demand, this bit of news might be particularly devastating for you.

In a recent flurry of activity on Twitter, prominent leaker with a proven track record, Dusk Golem (who’s been quite active with their insider info in recent days) dropped the bombshell that Okami 2 was indeed in development a few years ago- only to be cancelled not long afterward. Dusk Golem claims that PlatinumGames were developing the game, but its development was mired by “drama and burned bridges”, and the consequently strained relationship between Capcom and Platinum led to the project being scrapped.

In fact, it will allegedly “probably never happen” because of the “soured relationship” between the two. “It’s probably buried and dead unless something changes there,” said Dusk Golem, before adding in a following tweet, “This was a few years ago, but let’s just say Platinum probably never want to work on it again after what went down.”

Given that this is coming from an industry source and not from any official channels, don’t take this as a confirmation of any sort- but it’s worth noting that Dusk Golem has been a reliable leaker in the past (especially when it comes to Capcom-related things). Not to mention the fact that PlatinumGames’ Hideki Kamiya, who directed the first Okami, has expressed his desire to work on a sequel multiple times.

Here comes the gut punch. Okami 2 was in development a few years ago, but it was scrapped & probably will never happen because of a soured relationship between certain parties. There was some drama & burned bridges, so it's probably buried and dead unless something changes there.

— AestheticGamer aka Dusk Golem (@AestheticGamer1) March 14, 2020

They were, this was a few years ago, but let's just say Platinum probably never want to work on it again after what went down. I'm sorry to beat around the bush about it, but after some things that happened they probably never want to touch it again.

— AestheticGamer aka Dusk Golem (@AestheticGamer1) March 14, 2020