Prior to this week’s announcement of Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse during Sony’s State of Play, there hadn’t been a new Castlevania console game since Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 in 2014. Now, Konami has shared a message for fans about the future of Castlevania while teasing “numerous projects” in the works.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the original Castlevania, which debuted in 1986. Konami shared the following announcement on the franchise’s 40th anniversary page, which confirms that Belmont’s Curse is just the beginning of the Belmont family’s big comeback.
“The doors of Castlevania open once more,” wrote Konami. “This year marks the 40th anniversary since the original Akumajō Dracula first saw the light of day. In this commemorative year, Castlevania will be revived. First up is this title, Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse … This is the beginning of numerous new products around Castlevania. Look forward to the return of the magnificent ‘nightmare’ lurking in the darkness.”
Belmont’s Curse is a 2D action-platformer that is being developed by Motion Twin and Evil Empire–the studios behind Dead Cells and The Rogue Prince of Persia. Konami praised both studios, and described them as “brimming with talent and passion to deliver a new exploration-based 2D action game that captures the essence of Castlevania while bringing fresh innovation.”
Last year, Vampire Survivors creator Luca Galante told GameSpot that a new Castlevania game done in the metroidvania style would make “so much sense.” Although full details about Belmont’s Curse have yet to be disclosed, it may be exactly what Galante predicted.
Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse will be released later this year on Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PlayStation 5, and PC.