Nioh 2 will release in early 2020 according to a new Tokyo Game Show 2019 trailer, and it will immediately join the top of a most-anticipated list that's as lengthy as it is daunting for 2020's first few months. With the current console generation coming to a close around the same time, it appears it will be going out with style, as Nioh 2 joins other gigantic releases like The Last of Us 2, Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Cyberpunk 2077 and Animal Crossing: New Horizons as just some of the biggest titles arriving around that timeframe.
Nioh 2 is the follow-up to developer Team Ninja's successful Soulslike title Nioh. Very little is known currently about what the intent behind the game is, and whether it will even take place immediately after where the original game left off, but first looks at gameplay and design have indicated a return to form as far as combat and fluidity is concerned. Nioh made a name for itself because it successfully blended original, innovative design with the elements of the Souls series that fans had come to love, offering players a lot of customization with character builds on top of the usual punishing gameplay that has come to define the sub-genre of Action RPGs.
Nioh 2's newest trailer leans heavily into that element as well, showing off frenetic, fast-paced action that will likely come to characterize the series' second effort. The big takeaway, however, is that Nioh 2 is releasing in early 2020, where it will join one of the most crowded release windows in recent memory. Nioh 2's protagonist will be a half-breed, part human and part Yokai, which affords him incredible power that gets put on display as he tangles with what are presumably some of the bosses in Nioh 2.
It's interesting that Team Ninja has targeted early 2020 for Nioh 2, knowing just how competitive that launch space will be. It's possible the developer intends to release very early into 2020 - like the first few weeks of January, for instance - which would be before most of the games start arriving in February and onward.
If that's the case, Nioh 2 would be a pretty incredible way to kick off what is assumed to be the last year that the PS4 and Xbox One can be referred to as current generation consoles. It's also a vote of confidence from Team Ninja and publisher Koei Tecmo, with both parties clearly believing that Nioh 2 is a game that can compete with the biggest releases of early 2020 and come out with the sales and critical reception many expect from the title.
Source: Nioh 2