Although Onimusha: Way of the Sword will be the first numbered installment in the series in over 20 years, the game is almost unrelated to previous projects in terms of plot, characters, and setting. However, fans of the franchise will still encounter familiar elements — primarily among the enemies.
In an interview, director Satoru Nihei said:
The game has no direct connection to previous installments within the game world, but we tried to pay homage to some elements of the old games. For example, some enemies are based on opponents from past installments — so fans of the series will have something familiar.
As examples, he cited the monster Chijiko, reminiscent of Reynaldo Genma from the first Onimusha, as well as an enemy similar to Bazuu. Another new opponent visually alludes to Gyaran, although it uses different attacks.
At the same time, Nihei emphasized:
All enemies in this game are completely new. We only took individual elements from old games and reinterpreted them, creating new Genma for this installment.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword will be released on September 4, 2026, on Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, PS5, and PC.