Developer Team Ninja had already announced its historical RPG Rise of the Ronin last September, but a recent interview has indicated that the studio is already working on another unannounced title that seems to be on track to be released first.
In an interview with Japanese gaming news site Famitsu, Head of Team Ninja Fumihiko Yasuda indicated that his team plans to release a new game every year, including this one. However, he pointed out that Rise of the Ronin is planned for 2024, which means this unannounced game's release would precede Rise of the Ronin. "We have been developing 'Rise of the Ronin' for about 7 years now and plan to release it in 2024," a translation of Yasuda's words during the interview reads. "This title will be released in 2023, and we would like to release a new title in 2025. I hope to be able to tell you about that in the future when I can."
Also known for games such as the Nioh and Ninja Gaiden series, Team Ninja has actually already released a game just last month: the ancient China-themed soulslike action RPG Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. However, Wo Long hit its release on March 3, long before the Famitsu interview was published, and Yasuda confirmed that the game in question is "in development," indicating that he was not speaking of Wo Long.
Asked about fans murmurring that Team Ninja may be once again rebooting Ninja Gaiden or reviving fighting game series Dead or Alive, Yasuda said "a misunderstanding" had led to those rumors. While he wasn't able to provide any specifics to the interviewer, he seems eager to share information on Rise of the Ronin and Team Ninja's other products when the time is right. "I was just saying that we are thinking of it as an important part of the series," he said. "So I can't give you any specifics, but if the time comes, I would like to be the first to tell you about it."
Regarding his plans to release a new title every year, Yasuda seemed to express a desire to stagger the releases, giving the team opportunities to learn, grow, and improve. "After all, the growth of the team will be slow if we just keep releasing one title after another over a number of years," he said.