Xbox's Phil Spencer Had A Big Role To Play In The Creation Of Ninja Gaiden 4

Ninja Gaiden 4 was the big surprise of the Xbox Developer Direct last week, and many were surprised to see Xbox publishing a PlatinumGames / Team NINJA (Koei Tecmo) title in the first place - which is down to Phil Spencer!

In an interview with Game Watch recently (translated by the fine folks at VGC), Team NINJA producer Fumihiko Yasuda advised that there had been discussions about a Ninja Gaiden 4 project for a while, but they couldn't figure out how to proceed with it. Fortunately, Phil Spencer stepped in and suggested a partnership.

"We were having difficulty deciding on a plan. Then, Koei Tecmo president Hisashi Koinuma and PlatinumGames president Atsushi Inaba, who are from the same generation and are good friends, had a chance to discuss the matter.

“After that, Phil Spencer from Microsoft suggested that the three companies – PlatinumGames, Koei Tecmo and Microsoft – work together on a new numbered title in the Ninja Gaiden series, and that’s how the project got started."

Phil Spencer himself also elaborated on this in an interview earlier this week, advising that it's been almost a decade since discussions began about some kind of partnership, and it was eventually solidified when PlatinumGames (known for the likes of Bayonetta and NieR: Automata) signed onto the project.

There's no date for Ninja Gaiden 4 as things stand aside from a "Fall 2025" window, so it's something to look forward to around the end of 2025. Don't forget it's an Xbox Game Pass title too - the joys of Xbox first-party for you!

How excited are you for Ninja Gaiden 4 on Xbox? Tell us down in the comments section below.