The official landing page for Ghost of Yōtei got a little update yesterday, with some new information on Sucker Punch’s upcoming game tucked in there.
Straight off the bat, along with some more story details, the developer has remained committed to its 2025 release window on PS5. There had been some speculation the studio and PlayStation may nudge it back a touch to make way for GTA 6 – a game many expect will dominate the gaming landscape when it releases this autumn (unless it gets delayed).
In terms of story, while we knew Ghost of Yōtei’s protagonist Atsu had a revenge mission of some kind, we now have a little more background as to why.
Here’s what the updated Ghost of Yōtei synopsis reads:
“300 years after the events of Ghost of Tsushima, a new warrior – Atsu – rises from the ashes of her homestead.
“Filled with fury and determination, Atsu will hunt down those responsible for the death of her family and exact her revenge. Every odd job and bounty will provide the coin she needs for her journey. But how she fights, survives, and evolves the legend of the Ghost, will be up to you.”
Along with the fact we now know Atsu is seeking revenge for her ravaged home and family life, that mention of “every odd job and bounty” has also sparked some intrigue. It sounds like Ghost of Yōtei may include a bounty mechanic, and perhaps have some kind of in-game economy, which would spice up the game’s world a touch.
The developer previously said it was going to ensure Ghost of Yōtei had a less repetitive open world compared to its predecessor, with criticisms for Ghost of Tsushima often directed at its somewhat repetitive activities.
Back in October, Sucker Punch’s creative director Jason Connell said: “One challenge that comes with making an open-world game is the repetitive nature of doing the same thing over again. We wanted to balance against that and find unique experiences.”
Ghost of Yōtei was first unveiled at a PlayStation State of Play last year.
“To create something fresh but familiar, we looked beyond Jin Sakai’s story and the island of Tsushima, and shifted our focus to the idea of the Ghost instead,” wrote Sucker Punch communications manager Andrew Goldfarb at the time. “At Sucker Punch we love origin stories, and we wanted to explore what it could mean to have a new hero wearing a Ghost mask, and uncovering a new legend.
“This led us to Ghost of Yōtei: a new protagonist, a new story to unfold, and a new region of Japan to explore.”