Hope everyone is enjoying the summer! To help you cool down and slide back into the action, check out the brand new winter battlefield on our second DLC: Defiant Honor, available now at PlayStation Store.

As I’ve mentioned previously, William will be facing off with the renowned samurai Sanada Yukimura. Our director Yasuda-san and many members of the team regard Yukimura as the greatest and last true samurai. His brave heroics and fearlessness in the face of death epitomizes the spirit of the samurai — a perfect warrior in many respects, and for a game that is profoundly focused on life and death we could not think of a better candidate as the toughest adversary in Nioh.

Did you know that his clan’s crest is made up of six coins representing the passage of the dead crossing the Sanzu River? A tradition similar to Greek mythology of the River Styx for fallen warriors on their way to the afterlife. We wanted to pay homage to this incredible legend by meticulously crafting his design. We hope you will enjoy battling it out with the great Yukimura!

In Defiant Honor, you will also encounter one of the most formidable ninja of this era: Sarutobi Sasuke. Upon mastering multiple ninjutsu techniques from all corners of Japan, Sasuke joined the Togakushi school and became Yukimura’s trusted eyes and ears as well as his most fearsome guard. As fate would have it, Sasuke ultimately will cross paths with the legendary Hattori Hanzo in a ninja confrontation for the ages.

In keeping with the spirit of this battle and for those of you who pursue the path of ninja, we have provided you with our latest weapon: Tonfa. This deadly weapon is an effective tool for close-quarters combat and excels in both offensive and defensive situations. The Tonfa may also put a smile on many of the faces of our loyal Ninja Gaiden fans who are surely familiar with this impressive weapon. Lastly, new guardian spirits Enku and Nurarihyon will aid you through this treacherous journey as new types of enemies not only test your skills but add more depth to battles.