Team Ninja is about to drop what could be the first must-have game of 2026. Nioh 3 just received its final preview from IGN and other outlets, and the consensus is clear. This isn’t just more of the same brutal Soulslike action. The third entry completely reimagines what a Nioh game can be with open-field exploration, instant combat style switching, and design improvements that address nearly every complaint from previous entries while keeping the series’ legendary difficulty intact.
IGN’s Mitchell Saltzman walked away from his hands-on session declaring Nioh 3 is shaping up to be his favorite of the series to date. That’s high praise for a franchise that already delivered two critically acclaimed entries. The preview builds anticipation for the February 6, 2026 release on PlayStation 5 and PC, giving players less than three months to prepare for what might be the year’s toughest challenge.
Samurai and Ninja Modes Change Everything
The headline feature transforming Nioh 3 is the split between Samurai Mode and Ninja Mode. At the press of a button, players instantly swap between two fundamentally different combat styles with their own weapons, techniques, and philosophies. Samurai Mode delivers the grounded, deliberate combat Nioh veterans know and love, complete with stances, powerful guards, and devastating melee attacks. Ninja Mode prioritizes speed, evasion, aerial maneuvers, and ranged attacks.
What makes this work is how seamlessly you transition between styles mid-combat. You can close distance as a ninja with ranged kunai, switch to samurai for heavy melee punishment, then vanish back into ninja mode using the new Mist ability that creates a decoy clone while you dash behind enemies. The two styles share separate equipment sets but build gauges simultaneously, meaning strategic switching lets you chain techniques that wouldn’t be possible sticking to one style.
Game director Fumihiko Yasuda told Game Informer he wanted Nioh 3 to take a bigger leap forward than the evolution between the first two games. The team specifically designed the system so players can complete the entire game using only Samurai or only Ninja if they choose, but the combat depth rewards mastering both. Team Ninja incorporated feedback from the alpha demo, adding the ability to switch weapons alongside styles after players requested the feature.
Mist Replaces Ki Pulse for Ninjas
Ninja Mode introduces Mist as its equivalent to the Samurai’s Ki Pulse stamina recovery system. Instead of perfectly timing a button press to recover stamina, Mist lets you create a shadow clone that distracts enemies while you evade or reposition. It’s a fundamentally different risk-reward calculation that emphasizes mobility and positioning over timing and stamina management. The ability to leave decoys while circling for backstabs creates a completely different combat rhythm from the methodical Samurai stance dancing.
The preview footage shows ninjas launching aerial attacks from rooftops, throwing projectiles from safe distances, then using Mist to vanish when enemies close in. For players who found previous Nioh games too slow and methodical, Ninja Mode offers a faster, more dynamic alternative without sacrificing depth.
Open Fields Transform Exploration
Nioh 3 abandons the linear mission-based structure that defined the series. The new open-field design gives players freedom to explore war-torn villages, hidden dungeons, and massive battlefields at their own pace. This represents a massive philosophical shift for a franchise built on tightly designed corridors filled with ambushes and carefully placed enemies.
Yasuda explained to IGN that the open fields reduce stress by giving players options when they hit difficulty walls. Previous Nioh games forced you to grind levels if you couldn’t beat a boss blocking your progression. Now you can leave that area, explore somewhere else, gather better equipment, level up through different content, then return when you’re ready. It’s not an easy mode but it does give players more agency over their experience.
The open design required Team Ninja to solve new problems. Early prototypes lost the density and tension that makes Nioh special. Drawing from their experience developing Rise of the Ronin simultaneously, the team learned to create open spaces that maintain the series’ signature challenge. Maps feature multiple viable routes with clear visual language telling you where you can and can’t go. Cliffs are designed to obviously kill you rather than tempt players to try climbing realistic-looking handholds that don’t actually work.
Crucibles Bring Back Linear Intensity
For players worried open fields might dilute Nioh’s difficulty, Team Ninja has a solution. Each open-field zone includes its own separate Crucible, which are essentially traditional Nioh missions condensed into intense gauntlets. These provide the linear, densely packed enemy encounters that series veterans expect. Lesser Crucibles scattered throughout the map offer additional challenges.
Crucibles and Lesser Crucibles emit ominous auras that clearly mark them on the landscape. You always know where the toughest content is located. This two-tier design lets Team Ninja offer both exploration freedom and the brutal challenge runs the series is known for. Players can tackle Crucibles immediately or save them after exploring and leveling up in the open field.
Time Travel Story and Boss Fights
Nioh 3 takes place after the events of both previous games and introduces time travel as a narrative device. The PlayStation Blog preview described fighting Takasugi Shinsaku, a quick and agile samurai boss who constantly switches tactics and keeps pressure on players. The boss fight capped off the tutorial section, immediately establishing that Nioh 3 won’t be holding anyone’s hand despite its more open structure.
The time-hopping premise lets Team Ninja pull from different periods of Japanese history while maintaining narrative continuity with the established series timeline. Two DLC expansions are already confirmed, with the first arriving by September 2026 and the second by February 2027. Each DLC will include new stories and weapons, extending the game’s lifespan well into 2027.
Jumping Changes Level Design
For the first time in Nioh history, players can jump. This seemingly simple addition fundamentally changes how Team Ninja designs levels and encounters. You can now vault onto rooftops, clear gaps, and access vertical spaces that would have been completely blocked in previous games. The jumping mechanic enables aerial attacks in Ninja Mode and creates new options for exploration.
Yasuda admitted to IGN that adding jumping created challenges for map designers. Players in previous Nioh games instantly knew where they couldn’t go because the lack of jumping made boundaries obvious. Now designers must carefully craft environments that clearly communicate what’s accessible without misleading players about where they can climb or jump. Team Ninja adjusted enemy placement and behavior based on alpha feedback, fixing issues like the Crucible Wasp that floated too high for jumping attacks to connect.
Enhanced Multiplayer and Customization
Multiplayer receives adjustments for the open-field design. Summon Visitor mode returns for targeted cooperative assistance. The new Expeditions mode is specifically designed for exploring open fields cooperatively, giving players a dedicated option for tackling tougher challenges with friends. This addresses feedback that previous games made cooperative exploration awkward with their mission-based structure.
Character creation is deeper than previous entries, though Team Ninja notes the system shown in previews is still under development. The final version will offer extensive customization options for creating your ideal samurai or ninja protagonist.
Confidence in the Final Product
The fact that this is labeled as the final preview with the game still two months from release signals Team Ninja’s confidence. Reddit users noted that final previews this far out usually indicate developers are satisfied with what they’ve built and aren’t expecting major changes before launch. The game has progressed through alpha and beta testing phases, with each demo incorporating player feedback and improvements.
Mitchell Saltzman’s preview concluded with a telling observation. Every time he played Nioh 3, he was left wanting more when his session ended. That’s exactly what you want to hear about a game designed to consume hundreds of hours chasing perfect builds and mastering brutal endgame content. The Game Informer preview called it an exciting and necessary shake-up, while The Gamer declared it’s shaping up to be 2026’s first must-have game.
FAQs
When does Nioh 3 release?
Nioh 3 launches February 6, 2026 for PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam. The game will receive two DLC expansions after launch, with the first arriving by September 2026 and the second by February 2027.
What are Samurai and Ninja Modes in Nioh 3?
Samurai and Ninja Modes are two distinct combat styles players can switch between instantly during gameplay. Samurai Mode focuses on grounded melee combat with stances and powerful guards, while Ninja Mode emphasizes speed, evasion, aerial attacks, and ranged techniques. Each style has separate equipment but you can switch freely.
Does Nioh 3 have open world exploration?
Nioh 3 features open-field zones that give players freedom to explore and tackle content in any order, replacing the linear mission structure of previous games. However, each open field includes Crucibles that deliver traditional Nioh-style linear gauntlets for players who want focused challenge runs.
Can you play Nioh 3 using only one combat style?
Yes, Team Ninja designed Nioh 3 so the entire game can be completed using only Samurai Mode or only Ninja Mode. However, the combat system rewards players who master both styles and switch between them strategically during fights.
Does Nioh 3 have multiplayer?
Nioh 3 includes returning Summon Visitor mode for targeted cooperative assistance, plus a new Expeditions mode specifically designed for exploring open fields with other players. The multiplayer has been enhanced to work better with the game’s more open structure.
What is the Mist ability in Nioh 3?
Mist is the Ninja Mode equivalent to Ki Pulse. Instead of recovering stamina through precise timing, Mist creates a shadow clone that distracts enemies while you evade or reposition for attacks. It emphasizes mobility and tactical positioning over stamina management.
Is Nioh 3 easier than previous games?
No, Nioh 3 maintains the series’ legendary difficulty. The open-field design gives players more options when stuck rather than forcing pure level grinding, but the combat remains brutally challenging. Crucibles deliver the intense difficulty veteran players expect.
Conclusion
Team Ninja appears to have solved the sequel problem with Nioh 3. Instead of delivering more of the same with minor tweaks, the studio completely reimagined what a Nioh game can be while preserving everything that made the series special. The Samurai and Ninja Mode split creates unprecedented combat depth with instant style switching. Open fields give players freedom and options without sacrificing the series’ signature challenge. Crucibles satisfy veterans who want pure difficulty gauntlets. And jumping fundamentally changes level design possibilities. With final previews dropping two months before launch praising the game as a potential must-have for 2026, expectations are sky high. Team Ninja has consistently delivered with Rise of the Ronin and both previous Nioh games. If they stick the landing on February 6, 2026, PlayStation 5 and PC players are in for one hell of a ride through a yokai-infested feudal Japan where you can be a samurai, a ninja, or both at the same time.