Ghost of Yotei is coming our way this October, and thanks to an extensive gameplay deep-dive during a dedicated PlayStation Direct, it's shaping up to one of the most exciting new games of 2025 - with a more in-depth look at the upcoming adventure's combat, story features, allies, and much more.
From everything we've seen, Sucker Punch's sequel sounds like it has all the makings of one the best open-world games, with the promise of drawing us into the setting of Ezo at the "edge of Japan" where we'll be given the freedom to soak in the world at our own pace and decide how we want to explore and navigate through the story.
Our latest look came after the State of Play June 2025 showcase, which also dropped a trailer for the game that only adds to the excitement for what's to come. Set to be a PS5 exclusive, it's undoubtedly one of the biggest upcoming PS5 game that's set to build on Jin Sakai's journey with guns, a gorgeous change of scenery, and "unexpected dangers". For an overview of all things Ghost of Yotei, read on below.
Ghost of Yotei release date
The Ghost of Yotei release date has been confirmed for October 2, 2025, announced via a new trailer called "The Onryo's List" which you can watch further under the "trailer" section of our guide.
This puts the new Sucker Punch game a few months out from Death Stranding 2, which launched on June 26, 2025. Much like Death Stranding 2, Ghost of Yotei will be a PS5 exclusive - at least, to begin with.
While it has yet to be confirmed, Ghost of Tsushima released on PC in 2024 (four years after its original release on PS4), so it's quite possible that we'll see the sequel follow suit and come to PC at a later date.
Ghost of Yotei trailers
The latest Ghost of Yotei trailer reveals not only the October 2 release date, but new story details related to our player character's backstory. Playing as lone mercenary Atsu, we will be striking names off a hit list. Atsu is driven to chase down the murderous thugs, known as The Yotei Six, who killed her family and very nearly her, too. Surviving the ordeal, Atsu is now ready to wreak havoc upon her enemies and take an eye for an eye - and we'll be able to hunt down the targets in any order we like.
Yotei looks to be a tale of vengeance, though set in such a beautiful natural world, there should be plenty of time to check out each sakura-blossomed acre. "We want you to have the freedom to explore Ezo however you decide to," Sucker Punch says in a PlayStation blog post, and trust me... we will.
With another brief look at the upcoming adventure during the State of Play June 2025 showcase, we got a fresh trailer with footage captured on PS5 confirming we can expect to see a dedicated State of Play show for Ghost of Yotei in July, with a deep-dive look at gameplay, exciting stuff!
Ghost of Yotei pre-orders
Yes! Ghost of Yotei pre-orders began on May 2, 2025, confirmed a PlayStation blog posted shortly after the release date announcement trailer went live.
"Today we can also reveal that pre-orders for Ghost of Yōtei begin next week, on May 2 at 10:00 AM in your local timezone (10:00 AM ET for those in the US)," the blog post reads. There will also be "multiple different editions" available: Standard, Digital Deluxe, and the Collector's Edition.
All Ghost of Yotei pre-orders will come with sweet digital bonus items, six avatars, and an in-game mask (to be precise), though the Digital Deluxe version comes with unique armor, armor dye, a horse, a weapon, and more. The Collector's Edition offers all of the above, as well as an array of physical items.
If you want to pre-order Ghost of Yotei, Sony lists the standard edition pricing at "$69.99 USD / £69.99 / €79.99 / ¥8,980 MSRP," all to be available at retail or via the PlayStation Store. However, the Collector's Edition will cost you $249.99/ £219.99. That may seem like a lot, but it comes with a bunch of goodies that we've listed for you down below:
Physical items included in the Ghost of Yotei Collector's Edition:
- Ghost Mask
- Sash
- Tsuba
- Papercraft Ginkgo Tree
- Art Cards
- Zeni Hajiki Coin Game and Pouch
Digital items included in the Ghost of Yotei Collector's Edition:
- Ghost of Yotei full game for PS5
- The Snake Armour
- Digital Deluxe Armour Dye
- Digital Deluxe Horse & Saddle
- Sword Kit
- Traveller's Maps (Early Unlock)
- Charm
The Collector's Edition also includes the pre-bonus items of an Atsu plus a Yōtei Six Avatar set and an in-game mask. However, what it doesn't include is a physical game disc. So, keep that in mind if that’s a deal breaker for you.
Sony also revealed a Limited Edition Ghost of Yotei PS5 consoles (seen below), which draw inspiration from traditional Japanese art for its design. Set to be available at launch on October 2, pre-order details are said to be shared at a later date, so we'll be keeping an eye out.
Ghost of Yotei protagonist
Ghost of Yotei's protagonist, according to an earlier PlayStation blog post, represents how Sucker Punch wanted to "create something fresh but familiar." So, in order to explore new avenues beyond Jin Sakai's story in Ghost of Tsushima, Ghost of Yotei will put us in the role of a new protagonist known as Atsu.
"Sixteen years ago in the heart of Ezo (called Hokkaido in present day), a gang of outlaws known as the Yōtei Six took everything from Atsu," reads the most recent PlayStation blog post published alongside the release date. "They killed her family and left her for dead, pinned to a burning ginkgo tree outside her home. But Atsu survived. She learned to fight, to kill, and to hunt, and after years away, she has returned to her home with a list of six names: The Snake, The Oni, The Kitsune, The Spider, The Dragon, and Lord Saito."
"Armed with the same katana used to pin her to that burning tree all those years ago," Ghost of Yotei sees Atsu venture out on a crusade of vengeance and bloodshed. But that's not she will discover. "She’ll find there’s more to her journey than just revenge. As she explores Ezo, Atsu will meet unlikely allies and forge connections that help give her a new sense of purpose," the developer hints.
In a gameplay deep-dive during a dedicated Ghost of Yotei Direct, Sucker Punch also highlighted that the story is steeped in a "Japanese folk legend", with creative directors Jason Connell and Nate Fox detailing the "Onryō", which the people of Ezo believe our protagonist is. Described as a "wrathful ghost bent on revenge", Fox says, "they're half right", because Atsu doesn't care if she lives or dies "so long as she can punish the Yotei Six".
It's also been revealed that the role of Atsu is played by actor Erika Ishii, who's also had roles in the likes of Apex Legends and Destiny 2, as well as BioWare's latest RPG, Dragon Age: The Veilguard.
Ghost of Yotei story
As mentioned above, Ghost of Yotei's story will unfold as protagonist Atsu dons the mask of the Ghost and sets out to avenge her murdered family. As the Ghost of Yotei gameplay deep dive details, Atsu returns to her home of Ezo after spending 16 years in the south to put her family's spirits to rest. The memories of her family continue to propel her forward.
The Yotei Six make up the names on her assassination roster, with each pursued in any order as the player explores the vast expanse of Ezo. With Ghost of Yotei, Sucker Punch says it has "built upon and evolved the way you explore the open world, offering even more freedom and variety than in Ghost of Tsushima." On top of the Yotei Six, Atsu can hunt down "dangerous targets and claim bounties, or seek out weapon sensei to learn new skills."
If you're considering checking out Ghost of Yotei's predecessor, you can find out our verdict on the previous story in our Ghost of Tsushima review.
Ghost of Yotei setting
Ghost of Yotei takes place over 300 years after the events of Jin's journey in Ghost of Tsushima in 1603. This places it during the Edo period, which was historically a period of general peace but also one of strict hierarchies and isolation.
"Our story is set in the lands surrounding Mount Yotei," the blog details, "a towering peak in the heart of Ezo, an area of Japan known as Hokkaido in the present day."
Sucker Punch revealed more about Ezo following the release date reveal. "Ezo is wild, and as deadly as it is beautiful. As you trek across the open world you’ll find unexpected dangers and peaceful reprieves (including some returning activities from Tsushima), and you’ll be able to build a campfire anywhere in the open world for a rest under the stars."
Ghost of Yotei gameplay
Ghost of Yotei is a single-player, narrative-driven game. However, we currently don't have many details on the specifics of its gameplay. Thanks to the PS blog and small glimpses from the trailer, we do know that the upcoming game will "introduce new mechanics, gameplay improvements, and even new weapons" to the series. Gunplay in Ghost of Yotei has been confirmed, meaning that Atsu will have firearms at her disposal.
Atsu's memories of her family are a big part of the game's story and one of the driving forces behind her desire for revenge. As the Ghost of Yotei Direct gameplay-deep dive reveals, we'll be able to see her past first-hand when we return to her childhood home, where with the "push of a button", we'll get transported back in time to see snippets of her personal history.
Fox and Connell also detailed in the Direct that Sucker Punch set out to make an open-world where we can drive our own experiences, with the freedom to get stuck into combat, explore, or stay focused on the core story. Throughout the video, we see that we'll have a spyglass at our disposal to scout out points of interest.
As we explore, there will also be an "underlying clue system" that can lead us to new adventures and areas in the world. This system sees Atsu draw cards for each clue you uncover, which allows you to keep track of each available adventure you might root out. One example given is the option to interrogate enemies on different topics, such as the Onryo or Kitsune, which could lead to some tough fights against powerful samurai, which can also open up the way to learning new abilities, or ninja-like tactics study.
Since you're on the run and hunted, as you progress and take out more Yotei six, your own legend will grow within the world, too, which means a bounty on your head will increase and "draw the attention of deadlier foes".
We see a variety of side activities on display too, with Atsu sitting in a hot spring not unlike Jin in Ghost of Tsushima, and also cutting bamboo. We'll also meet several allies along the way, including a "mysterious wolf" who will join us and even fight with us.
We can also set up camp at night, where you get some rest, play your shamisen instrument, or cook. Sometimes you may encounter a passerby who wishes to join you, including a travelling peddler. It's also said to be designed to bring "important characters and upgrades straight to you".
Overtime, Atsu is said to also have her own "wolf pack" of allies, with an in-game menu that allows you to keep track of all the allies you've made and when they made have something of note to give, sell, or tell you. At campsites, you can catch up with your wolf pack to unlock more upgrades.
Ghost of Yotei combat
We got to learn more about Ghost of Yotei's combat in the dedicated Direct, with a the gameplay deep-dive showing off some of the ways we can engage with enemies, as well as the arsenal of weapons we'll have at our disposal.
With the choice of fighting with a Katana, spear, the grappling-hook-like Kusarigama, Odachi blade, or dual swords, each is said to be uniquely affective against a particular enemy and will have their own set of upgrades to "discover and master".
We'll also have a variety of ranged weapons to play around with, including a bow and arrow, a rifle, blinding powder, bombs, and throwable blades.
Crucially, Fox and Connel highlight that Atsu is "no samurai or ninja", but rather a "lone wolf mercenary who will use every advantage, every dirty trick, to win a fight". In one instance, we see her use the Kusarigama to hook into an enemy and pull them to the ground before her, where she then delivers a killing blow while they're down.
Combat is said to have the feel of a "classic samurai movie", and is all about lethal precision. If an enemy hits hard, Atsu can lose her weapon, but with speed on her side, she can deftly disarm them, too. Enemies can switch weapons during a fight, which means we'll have to adapt to secure victory. Our spyglass can also be used to take stock of patrolling enemies, and notable targets.
While we wait for Ghost of Yotei to arrive, why not check out our pick of the best open-world games you can play right now.
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