Vanillaware

Vanillaware has two Muramasa projects slated for early 2027 through publisher Marvelous, and the studio's first PC releases arrive with them. The studio also has a spin-off strategy in motion, with veteran background artist Yoshio Nishimura's independent Veritas Tales: The Witch of the Dark Castle already out on Steam.

Synthesized from 8 Yomimono stories · updated Sep 14

Vanillaware's current slate runs through Marvelous and through the Muramasa series. On June 9, 2026, during a Nintendo Direct broadcast, the two companies announced Oboro Muramasa Kaitan for an early 2027 release on Nintendo Switch, reviving a series that began on Wii in 2009 and came to PS Vita in 2013. The same day brought a second announcement: Muramasa: Revenant Blades, an enhanced edition of Muramasa: The Demon Blade and Muramasa: Rebirth, for Nintendo Switch 2, Switch, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam in early 2027, with 4K visuals, new English voiceover and localization, and new modes.

The Oboro Muramasa project firmed up on September 10, 2026, when Marvelous dated it as Oboromuramasa Kaikitan for February 4, 2027 on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2, with a Steam version the following day published by Marvelous USA. It combines the PlayStation Vita title Oboromuramasa and its Genroku Kaikitan downloadable content into one package, with high-resolution graphics and six protagonists whose stories can be played in any order. The standard edition is 6,578 yen, a limited special edition is 8,778 yen, and a Digital Deluxe Edition is 7,678 yen.

Separately, the studio's veterans are working outside it. Yoshio Nishimura, who led background art at Vanillaware for over twenty years, left during the pandemic for a village of 1,200 people in Nara Prefecture and spent six years on Veritas Tales: The Witch of the Dark Castle under his own label, Digitalis Publishing. Studio head George Kamitani framed the departure as a graduation and the first case of a plan to let senior creators open their own shops. The gamebook-style RPG launched on Steam on July 9, 2026, with hand-drawn art, music by Basiscape under Hitoshi Sakimoto, and a 1,980 yen regular price. An August soundtrack sale cut it to 1,584 yen.

Key facts

Oboromuramasa Kaikitan release date: February 4, 2027 on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2; Steam on February 5, published by Marvelous USA ↗
Oboromuramasa Kaikitan price: Standard edition 6,578 yen, limited special edition 8,778 yen, Digital Deluxe Edition 7,678 yen ↗
Muramasa: Revenant Blades platforms: Nintendo Switch 2, Switch, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam in early 2027, with 4K visuals and new modes ↗
Muramasa: Revenant Blades announcement venue: Announced during a Nintendo Direct livestream on June 9, 2026 ↗
Oboro Muramasa Kaitan announcement: Announced during the June 9 Nintendo Direct broadcast for early 2027 on Nintendo Switch, published by Marvelous ↗
Veritas Tales launch: Launched on Steam on July 9, 2026, developed by former Vanillaware background artist Yoshio Nishimura over six years ↗
Nishimura's departure and label: Yoshio Nishimura left Vanillaware during the pandemic and developed Veritas Tales under his own label, Digitalis Publishing; George Kamitani called it a graduation ↗
Veritas Tales Steam reception: Very Positive rating with 87% of 148 reviews positive as of July 17, 2026 ↗
Veritas Tales soundtrack sale: 20% off at 1,584 yen until September 7, tied to the Witch of the Dark Castle Original Soundtrack release ↗

Timeline

Sep 10, 2026 Oboromuramasa Kaikitan Sets February 4, 2027 Release
Aug 28, 2026 Veritas Tales: Witch of the Dark Castle Sale Drops Price to 1,584 Yen
Jul 18, 2026 Former Vanillaware Designer's 'Verita Tales' Debuts to Very Positive Steam Reviews
Jul 9, 2026 Veritas Tales: Witch of the Dark Castle Launches on Steam After 6-Year Development
Jun 16, 2026 Vanillaware Veteran Yoshio Nishimura Spent Six Years Building a Game in a Mountain Village
Jun 16, 2026 Vanillaware Veteran's Gamebook-Style RPG Verita Tales Launches Demo
Jun 9, 2026 Marvelous and Vanillaware Announce Muramasa: Revenant Blades Enhanced Edition
Jun 9, 2026 Oboro Muramasa Kaitan Announced for Early 2027 on Nintendo Switch

Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every fact links the story it came from.

Facts

Noted: First Vanillaware title slated for Steam · 2026-09-10
Noted: Vanillaware veteran's gamebook-style RPG Verita Tales launches demo · 2026-06-16
Announced: a plan to let senior creators open their own shops · 2026-06-16

Connections

Produces: muramasa revenant blades, oboro muramasa kaiki tan

Structured graph also available as JSON at /public/entities/vanillaware. CC BY 4.0.

Claim activity

When a claim about Vanillaware was confirmed, debunked, or disputed against open-web sources. The record stays even after a claim drops off the facts list.

Confirmed Vanillaware produces muramasa revenant blades Aug 31 · source

All coverage

Sep 10

Oboromuramasa Kaikitan Sets February 4, 2027 Release

Marvelous announced on September 10, 2026 that Oboromuramasa Kaikitan, a Japanese-style action RPG developed by Vanillaware, will launch on February 4, 2027 for PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2. The PC version arrives on Steam one day later, on February 5, published by Marvelous USA. The standard edition costs 6,578 yen including tax. A limited special edition is priced at 8,778 yen, and a Digital Deluxe Edition at 7,678 yen. Pre-orders for the physical edition are opening progressively. The game combines the PlayStation Vita title Oboromuramasa and its downloadable content Genroku Kaikitan into one package, with high-resolution graphics and new features. Six protagonists are featured, each with separate stories and goals, and the order they are played is left to the player. The official website has been renewed with each protagonist and story detailed.

Aug 28

Veritas Tales: Witch of the Dark Castle Sale Drops Price to 1,584 Yen

Digitalis Publishing and 15 Industry started a sale on August 24 for Veritas Tales: Witch of the Dark Castle, a reading-style fantasy adventure on Steam. The game is 20% off at 1,584 yen until September 7, its lowest post-release price. The sale commemorates the release of the Witch of the Dark Castle Original Soundtrack, with music by Hitoshi Sakimoto.

Jul 18

Former Vanillaware Designer's 'Verita Tales' Debuts to Very Positive Steam Reviews

The adventure game 'Verita Tales: The Witch of the Dark Castle' launched on Steam on July 9. As of July 17, it holds a Very Positive rating with 87% of 148 reviews positive. The gamebook-style title features art by Yoshio Nishimura, a former Vanillaware designer, who spent six years on the hand-drawn illustrations. Players choose between two characters and navigate a branching story with a wizard game master.

Jul 9

Veritas Tales: Witch of the Dark Castle Launches on Steam After 6-Year Development

Veritas Tales: Witch of the Dark Castle, a reading-type fantasy RPG, launched on Steam on July 9, 2026. The game is the work of Yoshio Nishimura, a veteran illustrator and background artist who previously worked on Monster Hunter at Capcom and Odin Sphere and Dragon's Crown at Vanillaware. Nishimura spent six years developing the game while farming in the mountains of Nara, creating over 300 hand-drawn illustrations without generative AI. The game features a gamebook-style format where players read pages, make choices, and roll dice to determine outcomes. It supports combat, negotiation, and avoidance as approaches to obstacles. The text volume exceeds 300,000 characters, estimated playtime is over 20 hours, and a New Game Plus mode is included. Music is provided by Basiscape, led by Hitoshi Sakimoto (Final Fantasy Tactics, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim). The regular price is 1,980 yen with a 10% launch discount for two weeks. A demo covering the first 30 minutes is available and has received a Very Positive rating on Steam. Full monetization of streams and videos is permitted for individuals and corporations.

Jun 16

Vanillaware Veteran Yoshio Nishimura Spent Six Years Building a Game in a Mountain Village

Yoshio Nishimura, who led background art at Vanillaware for over twenty years, left the studio during the pandemic and moved to a village of 1,200 people in Nara Prefecture. He spent six years developing Veritas Tales: Witch of the Dark Castle under his own label, Digitalis Publishing. Studio head George Kamitani framed the departure as a "graduation" and the first case of a planned strategy to let senior creators open their own shops.

Jun 16

Vanillaware Veteran's Gamebook-Style RPG Verita Tales Launches Demo

Yoshio Nishimura, a Vanillaware veteran who worked on Odin Sphere and 13 Sentinels, released a free demo for his new RPG Verita Tales: The Witch of the Dark Castle during Steam Next Fest in June 2026. The game is a digital gamebook with dice-roll battles, over 300 hand-drawn illustrations, and branching story paths. Nishimura spent six years developing the title while living in a mountain village in Nara Prefecture.

Jun 9

Marvelous and Vanillaware Announce Muramasa: Revenant Blades Enhanced Edition

Marvelous and Vanillaware announced Muramasa: Revenant Blades, an enhanced edition of Muramasa: The Demon Blade and Muramasa: Rebirth, during a Nintendo Direct livestream. The game launches for Nintendo Switch 2, Switch, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam in early 2027. It features 4K visuals, new English voiceover and localization, and new modes. This marks Vanillaware's first PC release.

Jun 9

Oboro Muramasa Kaitan Announced for Early 2027 on Nintendo Switch

During the June 9 Nintendo Direct broadcast, Marvelous and Vanillaware announced Oboro Muramasa Kaitan, a new entry in the Japanese-style action RPG series. The game is scheduled for an early 2027 release on Nintendo Switch. Oboro Muramasa originally launched on Wii in 2009 and later on PS Vita in 2013. Vanillaware, the developer behind titles such as 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim and Dragon's Crown, is handling development, with Marvelous publishing. The announcement was accompanied by images captured from the stream, though no gameplay footage or further details were shown. The title revives a franchise that has not seen a new mainline release in over a decade, positioning it as a notable return for the studio's action RPG lineage.