Belmont's Curse Seems Obvious in Hindsight

Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse was one of the many games featured at this month’s Sony State of Play. The showcase was packed with updates of already-announced games and brand-new surprising reveals, like Saber Interactive’s John Wick game starring Keanu Reeves. Surprises are hoped for at these showcases, but a new Castlevania game is something that I and a lot of gamers weren’t expecting to be part of the event. Castelvania: Belmont’s Curse looks like a wonderful return to form that takes the classic formula and gives it a modern makeover with a beautiful new art style.

With games like God of War Sons of Sparta and Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse, February’s State of Play put an unexpected spotlight on 2D side-scrollers. However, now that I’ve had some time to think since the announcement, Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse feels more like an inevitability than a true surprise. In hindsight, all the signs that a new Castlevania game could be on the horizon were there, hidden in plain sight.

The Seeds For Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse Were Planted a Long Time Ago

Castlevania: Belmont’s Revenge is being developed by Konami, Motion Twin, and Evil Empire. Motion Twin created one of the best modern Metroidvanias of the 21st century: 2018’s Dead Cells. Evil Empire would later help with the game’s post-launch content and development. Fast-forward a few years, and Dead Cells got one of its most exciting post-launch updates yet. Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania launched in 2023, paying homage to the game that made Dead Cells possible in the first place.

Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania Put Castlevania Back in the Spotlight

Before Castlevania: Belmont’s Revenge was announced, the franchise had been lying dormant since 2015. Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania took its modern, fresh gameplay and used it as a way to demonstrate that Castlevania still has gas in the tank. Even without the Castlevania name attached, it would still have been a great DLC. However, the added nostalgia and setting of Dracula’s Castle made the experience that much more exciting for longtime Metroidvania fans and newcomers to the genre. Staple features like food hidden in the walls, moody corridors, and a gothic atmosphere were reminders of what made the series so special. Not every Castlevania game has been a Metroidvania, but Dead Cells‘ DLC showcased that it’s still the heart of the franchise and is the best way to experience its world.

Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.

Easy (5)Medium (7)Hard (10)

Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse is Promising a Return to Form With a Slight Twist

The new entry seems to have all the hallmarks of a classic Castlevania game, but it boasts an art style closer to Dead Cells. This may be controversial for Castlevania fans who have been with the series since the beginning, but the Dead Cells-inspired art direction gives it a wonderful new eye-catching look. Motion Twin and Evil Empire have already proven that they can replicate the franchise’s atmosphere with Dead Cells‘ art style, so the difference in appearance shouldn’t be too drastic. There have been tons of games inspired by Castlevania over the years, and Dead Cells wears its inspiration on its sleeve. It may not be a full-blown Metroidvania in the traditional sense, but the elements of the genre that it utilizes are clearly influenced by Castlevania.

With Dead Cells being a lot more fast-paced than the classic Castlevania franchise, it’s going to be fascinating to see how Motion Twin and Evil Empire approach Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse‘s pacing. It’s hard to say from just trailer footage, but Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse looks at least a little slower-paced than Dead Cells. It’s promising that the gameplay potentially has the franchise’s more methodical approach.

Everything Known About Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse So Far

Releasing in 2026
Will be available on Steam, Switch, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S
Takes place in Paris in the year 1499
The main character is Trevor Belmont’s successor.
Whip-focused gameplay and traversal
Strategic combat with a large weapons roster
Trap-heavy settings and biomes

Konami hasn’t announced an official release date for Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse yet, but it’s adding to 2026’s stacked lineup of great games. Some of the biggest games of 2026 are AAA heavy-hitters like Resident Evil: Requiem and GTA 6, but it’s exciting to see a new Metroidvania be added to the calendar. What makes this year so exciting is the sheer amount of genre diversity that’s present.

Konami has yet to officially confirm a price, but fans have noticed that Best Buy has the game listed on the store’s site for $40.

Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse Hopefully Marks a New Era For the Franchise

It’s still too early to really tell, but this new entry could potentially bring a fresh Castlevania revival to life. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow rebooted the series in 2010, but Belmont’s Curse can take things back to the series’ original 2D roots in a way that is also appealing to a new generation. Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse is likely going to be some younger gamers’ introduction to the series, and that alone gives the game potential to blossom into a multi-year partnership between Motion Twin, Evil Empire, and Konami. The latter has even confirmed that “this is the beginning of numerous new products around Castlevania.” There are games like Castlevania out there, but it’s hard to capture the unique identity of the original franchise. Thankfully, Motion Twin and Evil Empire have had experience with rebuilding that magic.

Right now, Castlevania fans are going to have to play the waiting game until Konami decides to reveal more information. It’s unclear when that will be, but whenever that day comes, it will hopefully be a more substantial deep dive into how Motion Twin and Evil Empire have taken the Castlevania series and made it their own. Between Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse and a long-awaited look at the new Silent Hill game, Silent Hill: Townfall, Konami is betting big on revamping some of its most beloved franchises. Bloober Team’s Silent Hill 2 remake was a much-needed win for the horror series, and Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse hopefully does the same thing for its respective franchise. There is still a lot of mystery surrounding this new Castlevania chapter, but it’s definitely an exciting promise for longtime fans.