Skip to main content
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
  • home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • View Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
Trending
  • Pokemon Winds and Waves
  • New Games for 2026
  • GamesRadar+ Replay
  • Mario Day deals
Don't miss these
Nioh 3 character holding shining jade medallion
Action RPGs "Nioh 3 is a great game but it's not perfect," devs say in refreshing show just weeks after the acclaimed RPG's release
Upcoming PS5 games for 2026 showing Lucia from GTA 6, Wolverine from Marvel's Wolverine, Arjun from Saros, and Grace from Resident Evil Requiem
Adventure Games Upcoming PS5 games: New PS5 games for 2026 and beyond
The back of an anime-style character wearing a sword and shield
JRPGs Bandai Namco teaser gives JRPG fans real hope for a new Tales game as Elden Ring 2 holdouts put their clown makeup on
Bloodborne
RPGs Demonschool dev says he "could find you 10 companies" that have pitched Bloodborne remakes, remasters, and spin-offs
Musashi examines the oni gauntlet with a confused expression in Onimusha: Way of the Sword
Action Games Not content with stopping the avalanche of AAA games Capcom teases even more unannounced games before April 2027
Two-headed dragon spewing fire in Sword Hero
RPGs Solo dev's Kickstarter proves there's a huge appetite for open-world RPGs inspired by early '00s classics like Gothic
Nioh 3 samurai deflects an arrow
Action Games Weeks after Nioh 3's release, developer Team Ninja is being split into 3 as Koei Tecmo confirms major restructure
Bloodborne screenshot of The Hunter player-character with their back to us, wielding a bladed in their right hand and an a ranged weapon in their left
Action RPGs Bloodborne "is a special game for me" says Hidetaka Miyazaki: It's "the strongest reflection of my type of flavoring"
A Jazz singer during the trailer for the new game Stranger Than Heaven.
Games Stranger Than Heaven: Everything we know about the new Project Century game
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet PS5 screenshot showing a Porche spaceship hovering outside the orbit of the planet Sempiria
Adventure Games Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet – Everything we know about the new Naughty Dog game
A screenshot of one of the best RPGs ever made, Nier: Automata
JRPGs Nier Automata will "be continued": Square Enix tells everyone what they want to hear as the JRPG sells over 10 million
Stellar Blade
Action Games Stellar Blade studio will expand its "self-publishing capabilities" – which could include the sequel to the action game
Bloodborne
Action RPGs Dev claims Sony killed their Bloodborne ARPG, and is even more disappointed now Bluepoint remake hopes are crushed
Castlevania: Belmont's Curse screenshot
Action Games A Castlevania legend made non-canon by the Metroidvania series could be making her return in Belmont's Curse
A pudgy cat stands on the player's arm in Nioh 3 and emits a warm glow, with a rickety wooden bridge in the background, cropped
Action RPGs Nioh 3 review: "Brutal clashes across wide maps avoid retreading Elden Ring – this is all demon killer, no filler"
  1. Games
  2. Action
  3. Heavenly Sword

Rumor: Heavenly Sword sequel in development

News
By Matt Bradford published 10 May 2011

UK magazine reports a new studio will continue where Ninja Theory left off

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Get the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Want to add more newsletters?

GamesRadar+

Every Friday

GamesRadar+

Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.

GTA 6 O'clock

Every Thursday

GTA 6 O'clock

Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.

Knowledge

Every Friday

Knowledge

From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.

The Setup

Every Thursday

The Setup

Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.

Switch 2 Spotlight

Every Wednesday

Switch 2 Spotlight

Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.

The Watchlist

Every Saturday

The Watchlist

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.

SFX

Once a month

SFX

Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
Subscribe to our newsletter

A Heavenly Sword sequel is back on the table according to sources atUK magazine PlayGamer. Although the original game's creator, Ninja Theory, long ago distanced itself from the Sony-owned property, the magazine claims another unnamed studio has stepped in to pick up the pieces and take the franchise in an entirely new direction.

If the rumors prove true, the Heavenly Sword follow-up will take place a decade after the events of the first and feature an open-world format wherein players can replay missions at their whim. The original heroine Nariko is not likely to make an appearance (spoiler: she died), but the weapon for which the game was named will again be playable, but not until players have proven themselves worthy of wielding its powers.

Released for the PS3 in 2007, Heavenly Sword sold over a million copies and received above average reviews.In 2008,Ninja Theory's IT Manager “Peonic”confirmedthe studio had moved on to other IPs (namely, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West), and it had no plans to head up a sequel, announcing, “We’re not abandoning HS just on a whim because we want to go off and do something different – there’s a great huge raft of reasons behind us taking the direction we are – and it’s also the nature of the business that I’m not allowed to share any of those reasons with you.”

You may like
  • Okami sequel teaser trailer screenshot Okami sequel is "still a ways off" releasing, but its devs will "continue to work tirelessly this year"
  • Ninja Gaiden 4 screenshot with a GamesRadar best of 2025 overlay "It's not a Ninja Gaiden game without Ryu": How Ninja Gaiden 4 "continues the legacy" of an arcade classic
  • Stellar Blade Stellar Blade studio will expand its "self-publishing capabilities" – which could include the sequel to the action game

Shortly after, Sony Computer Entertainment of Europe announced the cancellation of its own Heavenly Sword sequel, which it had assigned – albeit briefly – to its Sony Cambridge division.

No studio (UK or otherwise) has yet to claim responsibility for the rumored sequel, but like all video game hearsay that land in May, there's a good chance we'll get definitive answers at E3 next month.

[Source:PlayStationLifestyle]

May 9, 2011

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
CATEGORIES
PlayStation Platforms
Matt Bradford
Social Links Navigation

Matt Bradford wrote news and features here at GamesRadar+ until 2016. Since then he's gone on to work with the Guinness World Records, acting as writer and researcher for the annual Gamer's Edition series of books, and has worked as an editor, technical writer, and voice actor. Matt is now a freelance journalist and editor, generating copy across a multitude of industries. 

Read more
Okami sequel teaser trailer screenshot
Okami sequel is "still a ways off" releasing, but its devs will "continue to work tirelessly this year"
 
 
Ninja Gaiden 4 screenshot with a GamesRadar best of 2025 overlay
"It's not a Ninja Gaiden game without Ryu": How Ninja Gaiden 4 "continues the legacy" of an arcade classic
 
 
Stellar Blade
Stellar Blade studio will expand its "self-publishing capabilities" – which could include the sequel to the action game
 
 
Kena: Scare of Kosmora protagonist cradling injured friend
PlayStation State of Play opened with just what I wanted: a short game in the form of a Kena: Bridge of Spirits sequel
 
 
Samurai Miyamoto Musashi raises his sword to guard in key art for Onimusha: Way of the Sword, with enemies in a montage behind him - with the GamesRadar+ Big in 2026
"What we wanted to depict was the figure of a young, rough-edged Musashi": Onimusha: Way of the Sword's protagonist melds a historical figure with a cinematic legend
 
 
Lords of the Fallen 2 woman clutching her hands together in prayer
Soulslike action RPG Lords of the Fallen 2 is on the "same journey" as the Batman Arkham games, dev says
 
 
Latest in Action
Bizarre Lineage codes
Bizarre Lineage codes (March 2026) for free Stat Point Essence, Rare Chests, and more
 
 
Kratos approaches Aphrodite's bedchamber in God of War 3
"The God of War sex mini-games were designed by women," which is why Aphrodite's bed looks "like a labia"
 
 
GTA 6
Some of GTA 6's big ideas are likely hiding in GTA 5, ex-Rockstar dev predicts – and you can look at GTA 4 to see why
 
 
Screenshot from Ratcheteer DX, showing a GBC-style cave with four pixelated characters finding warmth around a fire.
The Legend of Zelda-esque game mimics the GameBoy to GameBoy Color transition, goes from retro handheld to PC and Switch
 
 
Musashi examines the oni gauntlet with a confused expression in Onimusha: Way of the Sword
Not content with stopping the avalanche of AAA games Capcom teases even more unannounced games before April 2027
 
 
A crop of the MindsEye key art for a review header
"Overwhelming evidence of organized espionage": MindsEye CEO blames launch on "corporate sabotage" amid more layoffs
 
 
Latest in News
Steam logo from Valve
Valve says "more games are finding success" on Steam than ever, and nearly 6,000 made over $100,000 last year
 
 
Robert rides the elevator to work in Dispatch with his dog Beef, looking out of place surrounded by superheroes
Dispatch leads faced down publishers telling them single-player narrative games were "niche, or worse, dead"
 
 
Wonderer heads to the Spire in a screenshot from Slay the Spire 2's animated reveal trailer
Xbox lead thinks "we have been in a golden age for indies" since 2008, and it's "a fantastic time to be a developer" if you ignore all the smoke
 
 
Xbox - Future Owns
Xbox teases "some iconic games from the past" to be re-released in 2026 from its "game preservation team"
 
 
The cowboy cat from the desert in Mewgenics
Steam expert advises devs stick to the "Little League" section with friendslop before attempting anything like Mewgenics
 
 
Donkey Kong Bananza screenshot of Donkey Kong punching through the landscape with pieces of banana flying through the air
With Donkey Kong Bananza, Nintendo learned "it is more fun to destroy that which is beautiful"
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Steam logo from Valve
    1
    Valve peels back the curtain in rare Steam presentation: "More games are finding success" than ever, and nearly 6,000 made over $100,000 last year
  2. 2
    Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man director explains how the Netflix movie differs from the show: "Inherently, it is more cinematic in its conception"
  3. 3
    The Dispatch leads had "a mix of arrogance and stupidity" as they faced down publishers telling them single-player narrative games were "niche, or worse, dead"
  4. 4
    Xbox lead thinks "we have been in a golden age for indies" since 2008, and it's "a fantastic time to be a developer" if you ignore all the smoke: "The present is awesome"
  5. 5
    The Future Games Show returns this week - here's how to watch

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...