Nioh 3: Hell Rising, the first paid DLC for Team NINJA's dark samurai action RPG, launches August 19, 2026 on PS5 and PC via Steam. Announced July 28 alongside the first-look trailer, the expansion transports players to Edo in 1651 during the Keian era — a period the base game's timeline touches but never fully explored. Hell Rising adds a new open-field map, the hoko and shield weapon set, a new extreme difficulty tier, and a deep endgame system built around randomized challenge battles. Season Pass holders (Digital Deluxe Edition owners) receive the DLC at no additional charge. Individual pricing will be announced separately before launch.
- ▶Sources: KOEI TECMO official press release · Team NINJA DLC page · Gematsu · Push Square · Steam store
At a Glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Title | Nioh 3: Hell Rising (DLC Vol. 1) |
| Developer / Publisher | Team NINJA / KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD. |
| Platforms | PS5, PC (Steam) — no Xbox |
| Release date | August 19, 2026 |
| Requires | Nioh 3 base game (sold separately) |
| Languages | EN, FR, IT, DE, ES (interface + subs) |
| Season Pass | Included in Digital Deluxe Edition |
| DLC 2 | Bloody Insurrection (date TBA) |
| Base game Metacritic | 85 (PC) |
| Base game Steam rating | Very Positive — 81%, 4,648 reviews |
The Hell Rising first-look trailer, released July 28, 2026 — Keian-era Edo overwhelmed by the Crucible
The Story: A Castle Town Consumed by the Crucible
Hell Rising sends protagonist Takechiyo through time after an unknown yokai appears in a dream and pulls him to 1651 Edo — the future version of Takechiyo's era. On arrival, the future Takechiyo has been killed, and the castle town that once symbolized the shogunate's authority has transformed into a hellish wasteland ravaged by the Crucible. Yokai, human rebels, and alchemists from foreign lands have overrun the city.
To restore peace, Takechiyo enlists two allies:
| Character | Role |
|---|---|
| Yagyu Jubei | The one-eyed swordsman; both boss and ally throughout the DLC |
| Rodrigo | A Spanish envoy key to unraveling the Spirit Stone conspiracy |
The central conflict revolves around the Spirit Stones — the series' recurring MacGuffin — and an unnamed enemy with a deep resentment toward the shogunate.
Who is Yagyu Jubei?
Yagyu Jubei is one of Japan's most mythologized historical figures. A swordsman of the Yagyu clan — sword instructors to the Tokugawa shogunate — Jubei Mitsuyoshi is said to have lost his right eye to an unknown cause, a fact that spawned decades of legend. He served Tokugawa Iemitsu, the third shogun, and became a recurring archetype in Japanese period fiction: the invincible wandering sword saint. Setting a Nioh DLC in his era and placing him as a primary antagonist-ally is a natural fit that dedicated action-RPG fans are likely to appreciate.
New Stage: Keian-Era Edo Open Field Map
The DLC introduces a brand-new open-field map spanning Edo during the Keian era. According to Team NINJA, the once-thriving castle town has been overridden with yokai in every district following the shogun's absence. The design promises new enemy variants, unspecified boss encounters, and environmental storytelling tied to the period's political collapse.
The Keian Incident of 1651 — in which a group of ronin plotted to overthrow the Tokugawa shogunate — provides the historical backdrop that Team NINJA weaves into the Nioh universe's supernatural lens.
New Weapons: The Hoko and Shield
The most immediately playable addition is the hoko and shield weapon set, available in both Samurai and Ninja style variants.
| Weapon | Characteristics |
|---|---|
| Hoko & Shield (Samurai) | Combines short spear offense with shield defense; varied combo options |
| Ninja Hoko & Shield | Adds shield-throwing as a mid-range tactical option; Ninja-style movesets |
The shield-throwing mechanic in particular is a new mid-range option the Nioh series has not previously offered. Both variants are designed to serve players who want a balance between turtling and aggressive pressure — a gap between pure tank builds and the high-risk glass-cannon styles that currently dominate high-difficulty Nioh 3 play.
New Endgame System: Hundred Demon Realms Picture Scrolls
The Hundred Demon Realms Picture Scrolls are a new equipment category that doubles as a replayability engine.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| How to obtain | Enemy drops (rare loot) |
| To equip | Win the auto-generated battle tied to the scroll |
| Effect customization | Each battle run can randomly re-roll one special effect |
| Variation | Enemy types, stages, and rules combine for millions of possible configurations |
| Multiplayer | Supports co-op challenge sessions |
The design borrows from roguelite philosophy: the scroll itself is the reward for beating a generated encounter, but improving the scroll requires replaying it repeatedly to swap and stack effects. This is aimed squarely at Nioh's most dedicated endgame players, who treat the game's loot and build-crafting as the primary activity after the story is done.
New Difficulty: Enlightened One's Journey
Completing the Shogun's Journey unlocks a new difficulty tier sitting above it.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Prerequisite | Complete Shogun's Journey |
| Enemy modifier | Random Curse buffs make specific enemies significantly more dangerous |
| Reward | Divine-rarity item drops |
| Progression ceiling raised | Stronger gear, more Soul Core slots, higher level cap, higher Soul Matching +value cap |
The Curse buff system ensures that even familiar enemies become unpredictable, preserving tension for players who have memorized Nioh 3's standard move sets through dozens of hours of play. Divine-rarity Grace set bonuses — also new in this DLC — give high-level builders a fresh optimization target.
Beyond the difficulty tier, Hell Rising adds new Guardian Spirits, skills, Martial Arts, Ninjutsu, and Onmyo Magic across all playstyles.
Base Game Context
Nioh 3 released February 5–6, 2026. Fourteen days later, KOEI TECMO announced the game had surpassed one million copies sold worldwide, the fastest-selling entry in the Nioh franchise. On Metacritic the PC version holds an 85, and Steam's overall rating sits at Very Positive with 81% approval across 4,648 reviews.
The most recent 30-day Steam window shows 68% positive across 222 reviews — a dip that reflects community discussion around specific systems rather than a wholesale rejection of the game. Push Square's review of the base game awarded a 9.5/10.
The DLC launched alongside a temporary sale on the base game: the Digital Deluxe Edition was 23% off on both Steam and PS Store from July 27. The Steam window closed August 10; the PlayStation sale closes August 12 (tomorrow).
Should You Get It? Buying Guide
| Situation | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Own Digital Deluxe Edition (Season Pass included) | Hell Rising applies automatically on Aug 19 — no action needed |
| Own Standard Edition | Purchase Hell Rising separately (price TBA before Aug 19) |
| Don't own Nioh 3 yet | PS Store DDX Edition 23% off — sale ends August 12 (tomorrow) |
| Season Pass scope | DLC 1 (Hell Rising) + DLC 2 (Bloody Insurrection, date TBA) |
| Planning long-term | DDX Edition covers both DLCs; buying standard now means two separate DLC purchases later |
If you're on the fence about the Digital Deluxe Edition, the PS Store discount window closes tomorrow. Steam's window has already passed, so PC players are paying full price either way now.
The DLC is PS5 and PC only — there is no Xbox version of Nioh 3.
About Team NINJA
Team NINJA is an internal studio of KOEI TECMO GAMES, best known globally for the Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive franchises. The Nioh series, which debuted in 2017, established a distinct niche by layering Souls-like mechanical depth on top of deep Japanese history and yokai mythology. The series has grown with each entry: Nioh 2 (2020) is widely considered one of the genre's best examples of a sequel meaningfully expanding on its predecessor's systems, and Nioh 3's record-setting first month suggests the formula remains compelling.
Hell Rising is the first of two planned story DLCs for Nioh 3. The second, titled Bloody Insurrection, has not yet received a release date. The Season Pass covers both.
GamePeak summary: Nioh 3: Hell Rising lands August 19 on PS5 and PC. Season Pass owners play free. PS Store Digital Deluxe 23% discount ends August 12. No Xbox version.