https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/ Announcements, game updates and media coverage from ArtPlay. en https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/scarlet-engagement-tgs-2026-trailer/ https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/scarlet-engagement-tgs-2026-trailer/ Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT games A new gameplay trailer for Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement premiered during the Xbox showcase at Tokyo Game Show 2026, with locations and enemies shown for the first time and Leo and Alex fighting as a pair. https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/scarlet-engagement-new-screenshots-2026/ https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/scarlet-engagement-new-screenshots-2026/ Tue, 15 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT games Four new screenshots of Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement have been published on the official Bloodstained site. https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/scarlet-engagement-2027/ https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/scarlet-engagement-2027/ Wed, 26 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT press Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement will now release in 2027. The development team is working hard to make the game the best it can be. https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/shutaro/ https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/shutaro/ Mon, 16 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT corporate On February 10, 2026, our Creative Director SHUTARO passed away at the age of 52. We announce his passing with deep gratitude for the kindness shown to him during his lifetime. https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/media-denfami-roundtable-2025/ https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/media-denfami-roundtable-2025/ Wed, 23 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT media Denfaminicogamer has published a roundtable with six developers of Metroidvania games, including Koji Igarashi: what makes the genre appealing, and why he set out to make action games that self-declared non-experts can finish. https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/epic-interview-scarlet/ https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/epic-interview-scarlet/ Wed, 18 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMT media Epic Games Store has published an exclusive interview in which Creative Director SHUTARO and Producer IGA discuss Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement: its two heroes, its expanded RPG systems and the story. https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/media-scarlet-reveal-coverage/ https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/media-scarlet-reveal-coverage/ Thu, 05 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMT media Following the State of Play reveal of Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement, PlayStation.Blog, Gematsu, 4Gamer.net and Dengeki Online reported on the announcement. https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/scarlet-engagement-announce/ https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/scarlet-engagement-announce/ Thu, 05 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMT press ArtPlay and 505 Games announce Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement, a new 2.5D side-scrolling action RPG from creative director SHUTARO and producer IGA. https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/holiday-ambient-music/ https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/holiday-ambient-music/ Mon, 23 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT games Relax over the holidays with Miriam in a Santa outfit and five hours of calm music: In Peace's Embrace, composed by Keisuke Ito for Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/rotn-5th-anniversary-message/ https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/rotn-5th-anniversary-message/ Tue, 18 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMT games To celebrate five years since the launch of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, producer Koji Igarashi and director SHUTARO have recorded a message for fans. https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/classic-ii-release/ https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/classic-ii-release/ Tue, 11 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMT games The premium DLC Classic II: Dominique's Curse for Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is available on all platforms: a new 8-bit style story with Dominique as its heroine. https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/update-1-50/ https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/update-1-50/ Thu, 09 May 2024 00:00:00 GMT games Version 1.5, the final update for Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, is out. It adds the co-op Chaos Mode, the PvP Versus Mode, a free Shantae cosmetic pack and premium costume packs. https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/ritual-of-the-night-2-million/ https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/ritual-of-the-night-2-million/ Thu, 07 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT games 505 Games and ArtPlay announce that Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night has sold two million copies worldwide, and share progress on upcoming content. https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/journey-update/ https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/journey-update/ Tue, 23 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT games In collaboration with thatgamecompany's Journey, the version 1.4 update adds a hidden area, the Tunnels, with a boss inspired by the Guardians and the traveler's scarf as its reward. https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/aurora-update/ https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/aurora-update/ Thu, 31 Mar 2022 00:00:00 GMT games In collaboration with Ubisoft's Child of Light, a free update adds Aurora as a playable character, with a new storyline told in the poetic style of her own game. https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/rena-strober-interview/ https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/rena-strober-interview/ Fri, 11 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT media Rena Strober, the English voice of Bloodless, Anne and the Singing Fairy in Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, talks about her work on the game in a new audio interview. https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/sequel-in-planning/ https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/sequel-in-planning/ Thu, 03 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT corporate ArtPlay and 505 Games have begun planning a sequel to Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. It is in the very early planning stages, and development resources remain focused on completing the additional content for Ritual of the Night. https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/media-famitsu-mobile-2021/ https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/media-famitsu-mobile-2021/ Fri, 26 Feb 2021 00:00:00 GMT media Famitsu.com has published a video interview in which Koji Igarashi talks about the mobile version of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night: the partnership with NetEase Games and bringing the game to touch controls. https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/classic-mode-update/ https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/classic-mode-update/ Thu, 14 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT games A free update for Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night adds Classic Mode, an 8-bit style take on the game, and the Dead Lands, a new area from the Kingdom Two Crowns crossover. https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/ritual-of-the-night-mobile/ https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/ritual-of-the-night-mobile/ Fri, 04 Dec 2020 00:00:00 GMT games The mobile edition of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, co-developed by NetEase Games and ArtPlay, launches today on iOS and Android in eleven languages across Japan, the Americas, Europe and Asia. https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/bloodless-update/ https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/bloodless-update/ Mon, 09 Nov 2020 00:00:00 GMT games A free update for Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night adds the vampire Bloodless as a bonus playable character. She was never on the original roadmap: she is our thank-you for your patience. https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/mobile-preregistration/ https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/mobile-preregistration/ Fri, 06 Nov 2020 00:00:00 GMT games Pre-registration is open for the iOS and Android version of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, co-developed with NetEase Games. It launches in December as a one-time purchase. https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/curse-of-the-moon-2-release/ https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/curse-of-the-moon-2-release/ Fri, 10 Jul 2020 00:00:00 GMT games Curse of the Moon 2, the 8-bit style side-scrolling action game supervised by IGA, is out today on Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One and Steam. https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/media-cotm2-interviews-2020/ https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/media-cotm2-interviews-2020/ Sat, 27 Jun 2020 00:00:00 GMT media Ahead of launch, Famitsu.com and GAME Watch published developer interviews on Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2 with Koji Igarashi and Inti Creates' Takuya Aizu and Hiroki Miyazawa. https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/ritual-of-the-night-1-million/ https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/ritual-of-the-night-1-million/ Tue, 16 Jun 2020 00:00:00 GMT games Combined shipments and digital sales of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night have passed one million. To celebrate, a roadmap of upcoming free updates has been published. https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/zangetsu-update/ https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/zangetsu-update/ Thu, 07 May 2020 00:00:00 GMT games A free update for Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night adds the demon hunter Zangetsu as a playable character and a Randomizer mode that reshuffles the castle. https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/revolve8-service-end/ https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/revolve8-service-end/ Thu, 26 Dec 2019 00:00:00 GMT games The mobile real-time strategy game Revolve8 ended service on December 26, 2019. Thank you to everyone who played. https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/media-4gamer-2019/ https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/media-4gamer-2019/ Fri, 08 Nov 2019 00:00:00 GMT media 4Gamer.net has published a long interview with Koji Igarashi: keeping the promise of exploration action, filling playtime with exploration rather than difficulty, the crowdfunding strategy, and what responsibility means in creative work. https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/media-gamewatch-2019/ https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/media-gamewatch-2019/ Thu, 07 Nov 2019 00:00:00 GMT media GAME Watch has published an interview in which Koji Igarashi looks back on four years of development: a review of the development setup, feeding backer feedback into the game, how the world was built, and the approach to difficulty. https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/switch-update-1-03/ https://artplay.co.jp/en/news/switch-update-1-03/ Thu, 31 Oct 2019 00:00:00 GMT games Update 1.03 for Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night on Nintendo Switch is live, with more responsive controls, sharper visuals and improved stability.