Nioh Will Have PvP Multiplayer, But Not at Launch

Team Ninja has confirmed its upcoming Dark Souls-like action game, Nioh, will feature a player-versus-player multiplayer mode. This mode will not be available on release, however, and will instead be introduced as a free update post-launch.

Although details on the multiplayer mode weren't provided, game director Yosuke Hayashi said Team Ninja wanted fans of PvP in similar games, such as Dark Souls, to know that Nioh would also cater to them.

"We figured that a lot of different gamers, including those who enjoy Dark Souls, would also play Nioh," he said. "In the past, we did get feedback from our gamers about whether or not this kind of [PvP] feature existed. We wanted to make sure that we made a commitment to it, and to announce it."

Nioh's release date has been confirmed as February 9. The last-minute reveal of PvP has led to speculation that it may be a recent addition to the game. However, Hayashi indicated that Nioh was designed from the outset to accommodate the mode.

"As a rule within the game, [main character] William, as well as the enemies that you fight, move and operate in the same way. The reason why we created that game rule is because of developing player versus player at a later date."

Asked whether battles will take place within environments featured in the single-player campaign, or if new PvP specific arenas were being created, Hayashi said Team Ninja "hasn't fully decided."

Team Ninja recently detailed the enhancements Nioh will received for PlayStation 4 Pro. You can see GameSpot's roundup of every game that sees improvements from the PS4 Pro here. And for more Nioh check out our feature on its evolution from JRPG to action game, or watch the new gameplay video above.