Ghost of Yōtei: 15 Things That Have Us Hyped

Rather than tearing up the blueprint, Ghost of Yōtei brings a suite of thoughtful refinements, iterating on Jin Sakai’s adventure in Tsushima whilst carving space for a new protagonist: Atsu. Stoic and cold, she embodies the spirits of Japanese folklore to strike fear into those who wronged her. Her vengeance story might be a familiar one, but Sucker Punch are using it as a canvas for fresh ideas across a world which feels richer, deeper, and more immersive than its predecessor. Here are 15 things we can’t wait to do in Ghost of Yōtei.

Before we continue, please note that all information and footage in this video comes from official sources.

Embody Atsu’s Motivation

Atsu is not a samurai. She has no meaningful stature in 17th-century Japan, and she doesn’t belong to tradition. It’s 1603 – sixteen years after her family were murdered by the hands of a brutal gang – and on her return to Ezo, in the shadows of Mount Yōtei, she’s already a ghost. The sword she carries is her propulsive force; it’s the same blade her attackers used to pin her to a burning gingko tree, leaving her for dead. Turning this symbol of trauma into an instrument of vengeance is a bold, cinematic stroke of character building, making her quest feel both personal, unstoppable, and one we can’t wait to embody.

Channel the Onryō’s Persona

One of Japanese folklore’s most recognisable ghosts is the yurei; pale women in white kimonos, black hair cascading their faces. Among them is the onryō, or “vengeful spirit”, a figure of revenge who relentlessly pursues those who wronged them in life. Atsu channels the persona of onryō deliberately, and as a lone mercenary driven by vengeance she becomes an onryō of flesh, terrifying the men of Ezo who whisper her existence.

Her onryō’s list – a roll call of those marked for death – is rendered through shodō, the delicate art of Japanese calligraphy written with brush and ink. This detail reframes her vengeance as a meditative practice, suggesting Atsu’s killings are ritualistic as much as bloodlust. Channeling the onryō’s persona isn’t just Atsu’s process for revenge, but also a symbol of the emotional toll it’ll take, questioning the probability of her emerging from the quest unchanged.

Relive Atsu’s Childhood

Establishing a strong emotional bond between Atsu’s motivation and the player is one of Sucker Punch’s core focuses for this sequel. Upon returning to her homeland, players can switch between Atsu’s present-day perspective and moments of the past, stepping foot into her memories. At the press of a button, her ruined childhood home blossoms into its former beauty; a sunlit, welcoming place where players relive the warmth of Atsu’s familial embrace before tragedy struck. This mechanic not only invites players to see what Atsu has lost, but to feel it.

Set up Camp Anywhere

One of Ghost of Yōtei’s most elegant open world systems is the ability for Atsu to pitch camp almost anywhere. Being able to stop, rest, and reflect wherever she may roam keeps the momentum of her nomadic journey flowing. More than just a place to eat, sleep, and prepare for battle, camp is also a hub where vendors arrive to trade goods and wandering senseis approach to teach new weapon skills. This mechanic imparts a quiet revolution on the open world genre, alleviating the tedium of backtracking and immersion-breaking jolt of fast travel to keep players invested in Atsu’s world.

Explore Yōtei’s Meditative Diversions

Hot springs provided essential moments for Jin Sakai to reflect in Ghost of Tsushima, whilst practicing bamboo strikes improved his resolve. But Atsu’s journey provides even more ways to slow down. First person Sumi-e painting and playing the Shamisen by firelight are just new mindfulness exercises inviting players to step away from combat for a moment’s meditation, sharing Atsu’s quiet reflections as our own.

Chart New Paths with the Spyglass

Sucker Punch has described Atsu’s spyglass as “the best way to play” Ghost of Yōtei – and it’s easy to see why. Raising the spyglass to the horizon reveals new locations glinting in the distance, smoke stacks spiraling into the sky, or waterfalls cascading down mountainsides. Marking these sights as destinations before letting the wind guide Atsu creates a natural, unhurried sense of exploration. The spyglass provides a living map, organically attuning players to the landscape.

Dress to Impress

As described in Ghost of Yōtei’s State of Play presentation, Atsu will discover new armour and clothing as she explores Ezo, and players will be able to combine items to create outfits that match their playstyle. Plus, to fix one of Ghost of Tsushima’s limitations, each outfit appears to have three pre-build save slots which Atsu can instantly swap between. Likewise, her attire’s appearance is customisable too, with players able to choose from a broad palette of colours and materials to ensure each outfit – and its unique perks – can be picked even if their base design isn’t appealing.

Equip Charms 

Atsu’s outfits are her identity, and with Ghost of Yōtei’s returning charm system players can shape that identity to match their playstyle. With the right combination of charms, stealthy players can amplify their presence in the shadows, melee-focused warriors can sharpen their strikes, and ranged fighters can perfect their precision. Like in the first game, charms are acquired through exploration: honoring Alters of Reflection, completing side quests, and growing Atsu’s legend across Ezo, tying exploration to Atsu’s growing empowerment.

Befriend the Wolf

The wolf’s presence in Ghost of Yōtei remains mysterious given details on its specific role are limited. We know the wolf won’t be a constant companion but will dynamically appear depending on Atsu’s situation. It’ll accompany Atsu in stealth and combat, and it has its own skill tree.

Hunt Down Bounties

An oft-seen side activity in open world games, Ghost of Yōtei’s bounty system is an opportunity for players to eliminate the environment’s wanted outlaws for monetary recompense. However, the game treats bounties as a chance to explore Ezo’s ruthless underbelly. Accepting bounties leads to unique encounters, with each deposition demanding specific skills and strategies to execute. Seen in the gameplay deep dive, Black Powder Ippei protects his camp with ramshackle artillery, whilst Crow Genzo – an assassin who feeds his victims to crows – provides a life-or-death duel within the tranquility of a lilac-blue meadow.

Master the Blade

Atsu’s arsenal spans five main weapons – the katana, spear, the mace-like kusarigama, long-blade ōdachi, and dual swords – each being effective against specific enemy types. Further, battles are never static with enemies switching weapons mid-fight, forcing Atsu to adapt in real-time. The real draw though is the ability to study enemies and learn their techniques. Throughout Atsu’s quest, she’ll seek out areas where certain weapon-wielding enemies harbour – powerful samurai or deceptive ninja, for instance – hunting down their knowledge as well as their blood.

Interrogate Atsu’s Enemies

Information is as valuable as steel in Ghost of Yōtei, with Atsu’s tendency to interrogate defeated opponents tying directly into the game’s “Clue Card’ system. On their knees with Atsu’s cold blade against their neck, beaten enemies will give up information on hidden locations, key targets, or important story details. Each clue takes the form of a physical card in Atsu’s journal, and players can choose which cards to collect and when, effectively self-curating their own path through Atsu’s story.

Kill the Yōtei Six

The pounding drum of Atsu’s vengeance is the Yōtei Six. Led by the rogue samurai Lord Saitō, they are the gang who slaughtered her family, destroyed her home, and left her for dead. Alongside Saitō, its members are the Snake, Oni, Kitsune, Spider, and Dragon, each a personality, a challenge, and a piece of the puzzle framing Atsu’s trauma. Hunting them across Ezo is like preparing Atsu for six climactic showdowns, and as she strikes each name off her onryō’s list she gets one step closer to healing her soul.

Play the Special Director Modes

Cementing Ghost of Yōtei’s cinematic appeal is the suite of special director modes, set to mould Atsu’s story into homages of mid-century Japanese cinema, violent romps exuding dark humour, or a potentially polarising mashup of chillhop mixtapes and Edo-period imagery. Kurosawa Mode borrows the celebrated director’s grainy, high-contrast black-and-white imagery, whilst Miike Mode reframes combat to tight, claustrophobic encounters reminiscent of Takashi Miike’s best. Shinichirō Watanabe’s Watanabe Mode takes the anime director’s penchant for cultural experimentation by marrying lofi beats with Atsu’s open world exploration. These modes aren’t filters, but options to reshape how the game is experienced.

Team Up in Legends

When the main story is done and Atsu’s journey is complete, Ghost of Yōtei’s world won’t stop turning. Sucker Punch has confirmed that Legends – the beloved cooperative multiplayer mode from Ghost of Tsushima – is making its return, this time with all-new challenges. In two-player story missions and four-player survival matches, friends can team up to channel their mastery of Atsu’s skills against mythological enemies including giant, demonic versions of the Yōtei Six. It’ll be the perfect way to keep the drums of vengeance beating when it’s released as a free update in 2026.