Acquire president Takuma Endo has expressed interest in potentially bringing back the Tenchu series with a the inspiration for FromSoftware’s Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
The first Tenchu game, Tenchu: Stealth Assassins, launched on the original PlayStation back in 1998 to critical acclaim. It was followed by numerous sequels, with the latest being Tenchu: Shadow Assassins on the Nintendo Wii and PSP back in 2008. Acquire is also known for the Shinobido, Akiba’s Trip, and Way of the Samurai series, the last of which Ghost of Tsushima. The developer’s most recent release is a spin-off of that very series, KATANA KAMI: A Way of the Samurai Story, released in early 2020.
In an interview with Famitsu and reported by Gematsu, Acquire president Takuma Endo expressed interest in creating a new stealth ninja game on modern hardware. Answering a question about if he would ever bring back the Tenchu series specifically, he noted that, “while it is currently difficult,” he would like to build a new game from the ground up for the PlayStation 5. The “Stealth Assassin” trademark that the company ed back in August 2018 after it had expired “lays the groundwork” for such a game, Endo adds.
Although Endo dodged the question with regards to an explicit Tenchu sequel, his comments do offer at least some hope for fans of the often-forgotten FromSoftware-published title. Endo went on to tease the launch of a new indies brand by the end of the year, with the goal of bringing new and unique games in a short time. The new brand would be separate from Acquire’s main brand and the first game is expected to launch later this year.
Some fans may find the news disappointing, but it does show that the series still has some potential at the studio, especially given that the trademark for it was recently renewed. Given the resurgence of samurai-centric games lately, it would not be odd for Acquire to return to the series. One can only imagine how good a new Tenchu game would look like on modern platforms, something Endo seems to recognize with his explicit mentioning of the PlayStation 5. Even if we do not see a new Tenchu game anytime soon, Acquire could always surprise us with something completely new, spiritual sequel or not.
Source: Gematsu