The long wait for a new Naruto Ninja Storm game may soon end according to some watchful fans who spotted Bandai Namco trademarking the title Ultimate Ninja Storm CONNECTIONS. In 2016, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 adapted the epic conclusion of Naruto's journey of saving his friend Sasuke, the world, and becoming the Hokage. DLC titled Road to Boruto expanded the arena fighter's roster and the story by introducing Boruto and the next generation of Ninja, while the Boruto series itself has continued to grow with its ongoing manga and anime.
A new trademark from Bandai Namco for Ultimate Ninja Storm CONNECTIONS suggests that a Naruto Storm 5 game will be announced soon. As reported by The Gamer, the watchful eyes of Reddit user TheRidiculousOtaku spotted the filing that the series publisher submitted on November 14, 2022. This past April, a leak suggested that a new Naruto Storm game has been in development for more than a year. Judging by the number of arcs and additional stories that the Boruto series has delivered, there is more than enough content to pack a modern anime fighting game. If the listing is correct, fans should be hearing an official announcement about the next Naruto Storm game by end of 2022 or in early 2023.
Ultimate Ninja Storm CONNECTIONS Could Be Naruto Storm 5
With new games releasing for popular anime series like the survival game Dragon Ball: The Breakers and My Hero Academia's upcoming battle royale title, many fans have anxiously awaited another entry for the Naruto franchise. The last game in the series, Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker, was released in 2019, which was met with a somewhat mixed response from the player base. It tasked players to create their own Ninja characters to complete missions with other players, but unfortunately, it did little to expand the story of Naruto's world.
The team behind the Naruto Storm series, CyberConnect2, recently adapted Demon Slayer's first arcs with the stunning visuals and arena combat it is known best for. While Demon Slayer is a widely popular series, it will take a few years before the anime can move its story along far enough for a second Demon Slayer: The Hinokami Chronicles game to release with a satisfying amount of content. The same can not be said for the Naruto sequel series, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. The Boruto series has plenty of arcs between its anime and manga adaptations to fill out an entirely new Storm game, and hopefully, Ultimate Ninja Storm CONNECTIONS is that game.
A constant theme in the Naruto and Boruto series is the strength that making connections with others can have and the impact of those bonds. With that said, Ultimate Ninja Storm CONNECTIONS would be an excellent title for a game that focuses on the bonds between the past and new generation of characters that the Boruto series is building. As long as the next Naruto game releases and builds on the satisfying gameplay of the Naruto Ninja Storm series, fans should hopefully have much to get excited about.
Sources: TheRidiculousOtaku/Reddit (via The Gamer)