Nioh 2: New Trailer And Closed Alpha Test Announced

Developer Team Ninja is back with some new, if scant, information on Nioh 2. This time, the Toyko-based studio has unveiled a new trailer detailing a closed alpha for the upcoming hack 'n' slash title.

The closed alpha trailer looks very much like Nioh, with all the same imagery and iconography. Something new, however, is the change in characters. Alongside playable male samurai, we see a female samurai (Onna-bugeisha) do battle against yokai throughout the trailer. Later in the trailer, the playable characters transform into yokai themselves with what looks to be different forms and movesets, suggesting that Nioh 2 will feature some sort of transformation state players can use in battle. The game also seems to feature several new weapons, including a longer, nodachi-style blade, duel-wielded axes, a naginata (a pole weapon similar to a spear), and more. You can check out the closed alpha trailer below.

As indicated by the trailer, Nioh 2's closed alpha will be held for a full week, starting on Saturday, May 25 and ending on Sunday, June 2. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a way to request an invite. According to a tweet from the official Team Ninja Twitter account, "Some PS4 users are invited to take part in the Nioh 2 closed alpha to help gather feedback for the development." Team Ninja didn't clarify how it will notify PS4 users that they've been granted access, and the studio currently has no plans to expand the alpha.

Nioh 2 was revealed during Sony's E3 2018 press conference. The short teaser, at the top, sees a wounded samurai fleeing into a marsh field before defending against a few yokai. After succumbing to wounds, the samurai falls to his knees, at which point he grows horns on his forehead and pulls them both out of his skull, revealing the demon underneath. With Sony skipping E3 2019, it's unclear when we'll be getting our next look at Nioh 2.