Konami’s finally giving us a new Castlevania game and it only took 12 years and tons of indie tributes. The new entry is called Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse and it’s coming from Evil Empire and Motion Twin, the makers of the the excellent The Rogue Prince of Persia and all-time great Dead Cells.
It takes place 23 years after Castlevania: Dracula’s Curse and is coming out sometime in 2026. Here’s the trailer:
The gameplay footage shows a young, blonde, female Belmont heir grapple-swinging across castle rooftops and fighting an array of different bosses across a very pretty, cel-shaded 2D world. It’s a day Castlevania fans had long since lost hope of ever seeing as Konami drifted away not just from the franchise but gaming in general during the late 2010s.
Evil Empire and Motion Twin feel like especially good stewards to shepherd the action platforming series back to prominence. Between The Rogue Prince of Persia and Dead Cells, the indie devs have proven adept not just at flashy and satisfying 2D combat but also exploration and boss fights. It’ll be interesting to see them take on the challenge and expectations of the first new Castlevania in what feels like forever.