Demon Slayer has quickly become one of the world's biggest franchises as it continues to shatter both Japanese box office records and manga sales. With the recent success of the franchise, it's no surprise that Demon Slayer will also be getting a video game adaptation later this year, developed by CyberConnect2.
Much like other titles that CyberConnect2 have developed in the past, the new Demon Slayer game will be an arena fighter where players can choose from numerous characters with diverse movesets to fight others. Titled Kimetsu no Yaiba: Hinokami Kepputan in Japan, the combat looks responsive and fluid based on the character and gameplay trailers released so far.
Reveal Trailer and Development Report #1
The reveal trailer for the new Demon Slayer game didn't show much at the time but it introduced Tanjiro with a tentative release in 2021 on PS4. Alongside the short reveal trailer was also a quick development report on the game which gave fans a glimpse into the process behind rigging the character models, animations, and designing the enemy that appeared in the trailer. After this initial reveal in March 2020, no information would be revealed for nearly a year.
Gameplay Preview Trailer and Development Report #2
In February 2021, it was revealed that the new Demon Slayer game would be appearing on PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC alongside the previously announced PS4 version. A week later, the first substantial trailer for the Demon Slayer game was released previewing seven minutes of gameplay from the "Versus Mode". The video confirmed Tanjiro, Nezuko, Zenitsu, Inosuke, and Giyu as playable characters and showcased their diverse movesets. Similar to other fighting games, the mechanics of the new Demon Slayer game included a guard system, unblockable throws, and a tag team system alongside the typical light, heavy, and ultimate attacks. It was also revealed that the game would feature a "Story Mode" and a "Tag Team Mode".
Together with the gameplay preview trailer was a second development report which showcased how far the game has come along since its original announcement. Fans were able to see the models of the newly announced characters with their updated battle animations.
Tanjiro and Nezuko Character Trailers
On the same day as the seven minute preview trailer, CyberConnect2 also showcased character trailers for Tanjiro and Nezuko. Much like the Demon Slayer show, Tanjiro utilizes his Water Breathing technique to fight with fluidity while Nezuko uses her demon powers with overwhelming strength. Fans were able to see their different movesets and combos as well as their animated ultimate moves.
Zenitsu and Inosuke Character Trailers
A week later, CybcerConnect2 released two new character trailers for Zenitsu and Inosuke. Zenitsu was shown using his Thunder Breathing technique where he falls asleep from fear and awakens his true potential. Inosuke's Beast Breathing technique was shown in his trailer as he fights with incredible speed. Similar to the previous character trailers for the Demon Slayer game, their movesets and animated ultimate moves were revealed.
Giyu Character Trailer
The latest trailer for the new Demon Slayer game was the character reveal trailer for Giyu. Although he didn't make an appearance in the gameplay preview trailer, this trailer reveals his moveset and ultimate ability. As expected of his status as the Water Hashira, his Water Breathing technique is much more refined than Tanjiro's and fans were able to see his powerful ultimate in the trailer.
Set to release sometime in 2021 for Japan, the Demon Slayer game currently has no announcement for an English localization but given the massive popularity of the series, it's likely that it will follow shortly after the Japanese release. Demon Slayer fans will have plenty to look forward to as more content and information is revealed about the game.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Hinokami Keppuutan is set for a Japanese release on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X in 2021.