Koei today announced that it will release the next installment in the PlayStation 2 Dynasty Warriors franchise next year. The Japanese version, titled Shin Sangoku Musuo 4, will be released on February 24. The American version, to be known as Dynasty Warriors 5, is slated for a March 2005 release.

Koei hasn't disclosed any details on Dynasty Warriors 5 or its American counterpart, but the game is expected to follow the series' tradition as a hardcore action game with strategic elements. "Our Omega-Force [development] staff is currently working hard on Dynasty Warriors 5 to give it various new features, and to make the game satisfy everyone's expectations," Koei said in a statement.

Koei's Dynasty Warriors series has been a popular franchise worldwide, selling over a million copies each of its previous two installments. A PSP edition of Dynasty Warriors is coming out in Japan on December 16 and in America sometime later. The series is also making its way to the Nintendo DS in the US on March 1.