The Game Awards, for all of its faults, is coming on December 7th and along with recognizing the very best games released this year, it will also contain a number of announcements. Meanwhile on December 9th, PlayStation Experience 2017 will be kicking off. Though more footage is expected for pre-existing titles like God of War and Spider-Man, some new announcements should also be coming.

As is usually the case when a big event rolls around, rumours have begun to swell about certain games. In this case, it's the coveted Devil May Cry sequel. It's best almost a decade since Devil May Cry 4 launched and though Capcom released a reboot of sorts with DmC: Devil May Cry in 2013, it just didn't feel the same. Rumours stated, however, that a new Devil May Cry is on the way and it's a direct sequel to DMC 4.

Along with a rumour that it would be announced at PlayStation Experience, that too with Soul Calibur 6, a massive leak of (rumoured) information occurred that sheds even more light on the franchise's next big follow-up. Take it all with a grain of salt but what's known currently about Devil May Cry V (as it's being called)? Furthermore, what can we reasonably expect from the franchise? Let's break down a few points here:

Likely: Gameplay Mechanics and World Design

It seems that levels in Devil May Cry V will be more open in design with better streamlined movement outside of combat. There are apparently no quick-time events, exploration is taking a page out of Bayonetta's book, some encounters feature more enemies to beat up compared to previous games, and the overall world design takes inspiration from Dragon's Dogma. Dodging has apparently been reworked and the Style system is confirmed for Dante. There's more dynamic destruction in the environment and interactivity than before as well.

There are some pretty concerning things in the leaked details, like how the new dynamic camera will work especially during bigger boss battles and how the appeal is “broader” than before. Still, if Hideaki Itsuno (of Dragon's Dogma and DMC 2 to 4 fame) is on-board, many of these details seem quite likely to be implemented.

Sceptical: Story Details

Information is incredibly vague on the purported story. Apparently, there will be three playable characters and DMC V will have Nero, Dante and Vergil in one game. This doesn't mean Vergil is playable from the get-go but there will be a third “very powerful” character. In addition, Trish has a major role, Nero and Vergil will be revealed as son and father, and the Prince of Darkness (usually meant to be Mundus) is the villain. Devil May Cry V will also apparently end the whole “Sons of Sparda” storyline.

To be honest, a lot more information is needed before any of this can be confirmed, especially because it comes across as being way too convenient. Fans have wanted Nero to be revealed as Vergil's son for a while and thus Capcom just delivers? Something seems off.

Toss-up: Releasing in Fiscal Year 2019

Apparently, Devil May Cry V was slated to be announced at PSX 2017 with a release for November 2018. Rumours now state that the reveal has been pushed back to E3 2018 and it's possible that the release date could also be pushed back to as far as March 2019 (which is when fiscal year 2019 concludes). Interestingly enough, Sony is helping with the funding which probably fuelled rumours of a reveal at PlayStation Experience. Still, it's highly likely that it just heads to Sony's E3 2018 show. It's also possible that Devil May Cry V is a timed exclusive for PS4, perhaps coming to PC and then Xbox One later.

Conclusion

So is it happening or not? Devil May Cry V will have been in development for three years when it eventually launches. The fact that it has a grander scale and no development hitches thus far seems too good to be true. Still, it doesn't seem at all debatable that a new Devil May Cry is coming. It's just a question of what form it will take. If Devil May Cry V is indeed real, at least the original team at Capcom is working on it, thus ensuring it stays true to its roots. In the meantime, we'll just have to wait and see.