The Ghost of Yōtei State of Play is coming up, featuring whole new insights into the world and gameplay of the upcoming title. Read on to find out more about what’s to come on July 10th!
Everything Announced at the Ghost of Yōtei State of Play
Revenge is the Name of the Game
Ghost of Yotei’s story revolves around Atsu’s quest for vengeance against a gang of outlaws known as the Yotei Six, consisting of The Snake, The Oni, The Kitsune, The Spider, The Dragon, and Lord Saito. Sixteen years after the events of her family’s murder, she returns to Ezo after learning how to fight, hunt, and kill.
Players will be able to experience her memories of her past with the push of a button, which gives them context on why Atsu is hell-bent on taking them out. With her unique set of skills, she gains an infamous reputation among the locals as an Onryo,
or ghost, as the game progresses.
Free to Go Wherever You Please
Sucker Punch stated that Ghost of Yotei will focus on player freedom more than any of their other games. Whether it's exploring every nook and cranny, fighting every enemy you come across, or focusing on completing the main story. Players are free to explore Ezo as they wish without fear of a time limit to stop them from doing so.
Various interactions and discoveries tie into the game’s clue system in the form of visual cards. These clues detail points of interest that can be appealing to players. Players can also opt to interrogate enemies in the world, where they can extract even more information about the whereabouts of specialized enemies and be rewarded with abilities upon completion.
As her reputation as the Onryo increases, so too does her bounty. Likewise, Atsu can hunt down other bounties to earn money to fund her journey. Traversal has also been improved, as Atsu can slide down mountains to quickly descend and use a grappling hook to help her cross large gaps or ascend taller rock formations. Follow flower streams to give her a boost while riding her horse across the plains of Ezo.
A Few Tweaks to Combat
While there aren’t a lot of changes to the overall combat structure, there are quite a few changes. In exchange for stances in the first game, Atsu has several different weapons in her arsenal. Aside from the familiar katana, she can wield a spear, a kasurigama, an odachi, and dual katanas. They also function similarly to the way stances worked in the first game, as each weapon is better against certain enemy types and weapons. So far, the deep dive has revealed that the odachi is best against bigger opponents, and the dual katanas are great against spear wielders. Additionally, Atsu also gains access to ranged weapons like bows and guns, as well as several tools like kunai, bombs, and blinding powders.
Another mechanic that was added was the disarm mechanic, which adds to the parry and dodge mechanics in the game. Depending on the attack done by the enemy, a color-coded glint will flash, and a corresponding defensive command must be done to counter said attack. Ghost of Yotei adds a yellow glint to the mix, meaning that the enemy’s next attack will disarm you. To counter this, players can strike them first to disarm them instead of being disarmed.
No Man is an Island
Throughout the game, Atsu will meet and make several different allies. Some of them may offer upgrades to your gear, and some may offer assistance in battle. They also added a specific menu called Wolf Pack,
which shows the status of Atsu’s allies and if they’re offering anything new to sell or to upgrade.
Ghost of Yotei features the biggest open-world map that Sucker Punch has made so far, and with it comes a new mechanic where Atsu can set up camp. In the camp, players can do several activities like play musical instruments, cook meals, and most importantly, invite allies to join them. This means that instead of riding or fast traveling to an ally’s location, players can ask them to go to them instead.
You Choose the Vibes
The music of Ghost of Yotei is composed by Toma Otowa, who combines eastern instruments with a western flair. Additionally, he also collaborates with numerous artists to make the music come to life. In addition to the music, the game will feature a full Japanese voice-over and lip sync with subtitles to make it feel like an authentic Japanese cinematic experience.
Speaking of which, Kurosawa mode makes a return, where it emulates Akira Kurosawa’s films with black and white coloring, an audio filter, and increased wind physics. That’s not all, however, as there are two additional special modes added to the game.
In partnership with Takashi Miike, the director of 13 Assassins, a new Miike Mode
brings the camera closer during combat sequences and adds even more mud and blood splatters to give it a more action-filled feel. Lastly, the game also includes the Watanabe Mode,
a mode that emulates Shinichiro Watanabe’s Samurai Champloo and plays lo-fi beats during exploration and combat.
Limited Edition PS5 and PS5 Pro
Two new limited-edition PlayStation 5 bundles and accessories are announced to release at the same time as the game.
The Gold Limited Edition bundle is inspired by the Japanese art form of repairing broken ceramics with gold called "kintsugi,"" while the Black Limited Edition bundle draws inspiration from the traditional art form of "sumi-e," which is the use of black ink on paintings.
Both bundles will come with a matching DualSense controller that features Atsu’s silhouette on the touchpad.
Everything We Know About Ghost of Yōtei State of Play
Goes Live On July 10, 2025, 2 PM PT / 5 PM ET / 11 PM CEST
The Ghost of Yōtei State of Play is scheduled to premiere on July 10, 2025, 2 PM PT / 5 PM ET / 11 PM CEST on the official PlayStation YouTube channel and Twitch channel. The event will be hosted by Sucker Punch’s Creative Directors, Jason Connell and Nate Fox.
Check out the table below to check when the livestream will start in your region!
| Region | Local Release Time |
|---|---|
| United States (ET) | Thursday, July 10, 2025, 5:00 p.m. |
| United States (PT) | Thursday, July 10, 2025, 2:00 p.m. |
| United Kingdom | Thursday, July 10, 2025, 10:00 p.m. |
| Central Europe | Thursday, July 10, 2025, 11:00 p.m. |
| New Zealand | Friday, July 11, 2025, 10:00 a.m. |
| Australian East Coast | Friday, July 11, 2025, 7:00 a.m. |
| Australian West Coast | Friday, July 11, 2025, 5:00 a.m. |
| Japan | Friday, July 11, 2025, 6:00 a.m. |
| Philippines | Friday, July 11, 2025, 5:00 a.m. |
| South Africa | Thursday, July 10, 2025, 11:00 p.m. |
| Brazil | Thursday, July 10, 2025, 6:00 p.m. |
| Universal Time (UTC) | Thursday, July 10, 2025, 9:00 p.m. |
What To Expect In The Ghost of Yōtei State of Play
20 Minutes of Gameplay
Viewers will be treated to a gameplay deep dive of the upcoming game, featuring 20 minutes of gameplay and commentary. Sucker Punch Creative Directors Jason Connell and Nate Fox have also expressed that they will be presenting more of Atsu’s weapons, ways to make your journey across Japan more personalized, new special modes, and more surprises to come.
