This WASN'T planned (Nioh 3)

Nioh 3 wasn’t supposed to happen.

After Nioh 1 and Nioh 2 proved the series was a real heavyweight in the action RPG / soulslike space, you’d expect the standard industry playbook: rush a sequel, milk the brand, ship slop, repeat.
But Team Ninja didn’t do that.

In this video, we break down the real development story behind Nioh 3 — including the leadership shift from series creator Fumihiko Yasuda to Kohei Shibata, why Nioh 3 wasn’t even planned, and how the devs are doing something most studios refuse to do in 2026:

actually listening to player feedback.

What we cover:

Why Nioh 3 “wasn’t in the playbook”

The dev-led pitch that sparked the project (not corporate pressure)

The leadership shift: Yasuda’s promotion + Shibata stepping up

How Team Ninja used alpha feedback (and even publicly shared results)

The big design debates: weapon swapping, Samurai/Ninja styles, and more

Why Nioh 3 has NO easy mode (on purpose)

The move toward “open field” design, and what that changes for progression

Optional pain content like Crucibles for the certified masochists

If you’ve been burned by studios ignoring their own communities, this one’s worth watching — because Nioh 3 is shaping up to be the anti-slop sequel.

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Articles and References:

All Out Gaming Interview:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nta0K8_Uxdw

Nioh 3 Alpha Feedback Survey
https://teamninja-studio.com/nioh3/us/feedback.html

https://www.techradar.com/gaming/embargo-its-something-weve-never-considered-nioh-3-producer-explains-why-team-ninja-wont-add-easier-modes-to-the-action-rpg-series

https://www.siliconera.com/interview-team-ninja-talks-about-nioh-3/#:~:text=We%E2%80%99re%20about%20to%20see%20a,Kohei%20Shibata%20about%20the%20game

Timestamps
0:00 - Intro – This Wasn’t Planned
0:43 - Nioh
1:03 - The man behind Nioh
1:48 - The Road to Nioh 2
2:57 - New Director for Nioh 3
4:07 - Nioh 2 was supposed to be the end
5:00 - The Dev team speaks up
5:30 - Team Ninja is listening to players