Castlevania: Belmont's Curse Looks Like the Revival Fans Deserve
Early impressions of Castlevania: Belmont's Curse are glowing. Evil Empire and Motion Twin's Metroidvania set in 1499 Paris is shaping up to be the best entry in years.
It's been a long time coming. Castlevania hasn't had a proper mainline entry in over a decade, but if the latest hands-on impressions are anything to go by, Castlevania: Belmont's Curse might just be worth every year of the wait.
Announced at Sony's State of Play in February 2026, the game is developed by a genuinely exciting creative team: Evil Empire (the studio that turned Dead Cells into one of the best roguelikes ever made) and Motion Twin, working alongside Konami to mark the franchise's 40th anniversary. Push Square this week called it "shaping up to be a bloody brilliant series revival" — and based on what we know, that take feels right.
A Paris You've Never Seen in a Video Game
The setting alone is enough to get excited about. The game takes place in 1499, 23 years after the events of Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse. Players follow a descendant of Trevor Belmont and Sypha Belnades as Dracula's castle materializes directly in the heart of Paris.
That concept — a gothic castle erupting from the streets of medieval Paris — gives the map an incredible dual identity. You're not just exploring a dark fortress; you're weaving through cobblestone alleyways, cathedral districts, and foggy riverside docks before plunging back into the castle's nightmare depths. It's a far more ambitious canvas than any prior Castlevania has attempted.
Symphony of the Night DNA, Through and Through
The gameplay structure follows the exploration-based design of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night — which is exactly what fans have been screaming for. The map is non-linear, enemies drop experience to level up your character, and hidden upgrades gate access to new areas. Classic Metroidvania through and through.
But it isn't just a nostalgia exercise. The whip returns as your primary weapon, but the game adds a full suite of additional tools:
- A sword for close-quarters combat
- Sub-weapons and magic abilities inherited from the Belnades bloodline
- Movement upgrades that open shortcuts across both the castle and Paris itself
Evil Empire's fingerprints are all over the combat — it looks fluid, punchy, and layered in ways that Dead Cells fans will immediately recognize.
The Right Team for the Job
What makes this announcement so exciting isn't just the game itself — it's who's making it. Evil Empire has a track record of taking beloved game systems and expanding them thoughtfully. Their work on Dead Cells post-launch was one of the most sustained quality expansions in indie history.
Motion Twin, for their part, brings a deep understanding of how exploration-based games should feel to navigate. Together, these two studios represent a serious pedigree for a franchise that has too often been handed to teams that didn't understand what made it special.
Konami's involvement as publisher — rather than sole developer — feels like exactly the right arrangement here.
Platforms and Release Window
Castlevania: Belmont's Curse is coming to PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam sometime in 2026. No exact date has been announced yet, but given the polish visible in recent previews, a Q3 or Q4 launch feels plausible.
For Castlevania fans who have waited patiently through years of pachinko machines and Netflix anime (excellent as that was), this is the one. The right studio, the right concept, and the right moment. We'll be watching Belmont's Curse very closely between now and launch.