The four-player activity is "high-end content" and sees players tackling the leader of the demonic Yōtei Six for big rewards.
"We started doing weekly cuts and celebrated them," said co-director Jason Connell at GDC 2026 after noting how challenging it can be.
It doesn't reinvent the wheel or significantly diverge from its predecessor, but Sucker Punch's co-op mode is still a fun, addictive time.
Theodore Fishman spoke about how the concept of a "super boss" hadn't really been attempted at Sucker Punch Productions before.
On the bright side, Caltrops, ammo and Spirit drop rates have been adjusted. Challenge Cards are also now displayed on leaderboards.
Joanna Wang spoke about how the studio contrasted narrow spaces with wide open fields to offer contrasts, making the world feel bigger.
The system ultimately didn't make its way into the full release since it didn't fit the game's fantasy of a wandering ronin.
Adverse effects on the sales of the PS5, along with potential damage to the brand, reportedly contributed to the decision.
A massive Story mode with 12 missions, new class twists, Curses and Blessings on each Survival map, and the Legends Lobby await.
Team up with up to three other players and take on giant, monstrous versions of the Yōtei Six with multiple different classes.
Sony CFO Lin Tao noted that Sucker Punch's latest open-world game has contributed "significantly" to the company's financial quarter.
Zooming in at sales figures for just December, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 took the crown, with Battlefield 6 instead being ranked at third.
Brian Fleming will be succeeded by long-time creative and technical leads Jason Connell and Adrian Bentley alongside Nate Fox.
Which stands out for delivering the best combat, world design, quests and visuals? Check our ultimate comparison to find out.
You can also turn off fall damage, remap the right directional button to accommodate touchpad functions, and much more.
Venture into a new playthrough with all of your weapons, armor, and skills, and partake in even more challenging difficulties.
Ultimately, the complexity was reduced to bring down the overall development time, since it would involve "doubling your art".
Sony Interactive Entertainment has also scored a collective 19 nominations between Death Stranding 2 and Ghost of Yōtei.
Sucker Punch's critically-acclaimed open-world title records impressive numbers, especially compared to Ghost of Tsushima.
Sucker Punch's open-world epic has reportedly sold more in three weeks than Ubisoft's latest managed in about seven months.
