Konami Digital Entertainment today unveiled a new project with which it aims to regain possession of the throne of the metroidvania genre: it is Castlevania: Belmont's Curse, a new chapter in the franchise arriving by the end of 2026.

The title was made to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the series and is developed in collaboration with Evil Empire, already authors of the excellent Dead Cells and The Rogue Prince of Persia. The goal is to carry on the traditional metroidvania gameplay formula to which this series, together with Nintendo's Metroid, initially gave life.

The events narrated in Castlevania: Belmont's Curse will take us to fifteenth-century Paris, temporally placed over two decades after the events of Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse and the recent animated series. In this scenario, we will take on the role of Trevor Belmont's successor who, wielding the legendary sacred whip Vampire Killer, will have to make his way through the alleys of a city now on the verge of fall, facing hordes of monstrous creatures to save Parisians from darkness.

On the gameplay front, we will have to master a vast arsenal of weapons and spells, but the real protagonist will be the whip. This iconic tool will not be limited to simple offense, but will become essential for exploration: we can in fact use it to swing, thus allowing us to find hidden rooms and reach otherwise inaccessible areas. Learning how to better manage the whip will also allow us to unlock creative combat skills, useful for hitting enemies from unconventional angles.

The title promises to maintain the gothic aesthetic typical of the series, while offering a new point of view on the game world through areas full of secrets, environmental puzzles and deadly traps that will require all our skill to overcome. We are waiting for further details and a release date; In the meantime, we leave you to the announcement trailer.