Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse

Castlevania: Belmont's Curse is an action-exploration game developed by Evil Empire and Motion Twin, the studios behind Dead Cells, in partnership with Konami. Announced in February 2026 and scheduled for release on October 15, 2026, it marks the Castlevania series' 40th anniversary and a deliberate return to the traditional 2D, side-scrolling, exploration-driven design the franchise is known for. It is the first new 2D entry in Castlevania's main timeline since Order of Ecclesia (2008), and the first new console entry since Lords of Shadow 2 (2014). The game follows the Metroidvania structure that Symphony of the Night codified: a large interconnected castle to explore, abilities that unlock new paths, and a campaign that gives the player freedom over where to go. Its signature mechanic is the Arcana Whip, used for physics-based swinging across gaps during platforming and for zipping instantly toward enemies in combat. Combat is faster and more demanding than in classic Castlevania, built around dodging, rolling, ripostes, and combo chains that reflect the developers' Dead Cells pedigree while remaining rooted in the series' whip-and-subweapon foundation. Belmont's Curse launches on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, PC via Steam, and Nintendo Switch, with a deluxe Midnight Edition available at launch. Its first hands-on previews, published in July 2026, were broadly positive, praising the feel of the whip and the speed of combat while noting the weight of expectation on a 40th-anniversary revival.