Dragon Ball isn’t the only anime series getting a fighting game. During its panel at Anime Expo 2024, Bandai Namco announced Bleach Rebirth of Souls, a brand new 3D fighting game that will follow the original story.
The two-minute trailer shown during Bandai Namco’s panel contains glimpses of the core cast, including Ichigo, Rukia, Orihime, Ishida and Chad, with Soul Society stalwarts Byakuya and Renji also making an appearance. While the trailer is brief, it does contain a small amount of gameplay showcasing the combat, Byakuya’s Bankai, and Ichigo with his Hollow mask.
ACCEPT YOUR SOUL AND REVERSE FATE.#BLEACH Rebirth of Souls is coming soon to PlayStation, Xbox, and PC!#BLEACHRoS
Follow @bleach_game_en for more! pic.twitter.com/2Xoer0O1RN
— Bandai Namco US (@BandaiNamcoUS) July 6, 2024
The official description from the press release provides a few additional details.
Awaken the blade and reverse your fate in Engage in thrilling action-packed battles with iconic characters from the legendary anime franchise including Ichigo Kurosaki, Rukia Kuchiki, Uryu Ishida, and Yasutora Sado (Chad). In the game, players will be able to unleash unique sword abilities like Bankai and unlock new forms in battle to claim victory against their opponents. Bandai Namco will unveil many more exciting details about the game in the months to come.
Bandai Namco confirmed that Bleach Rebirth of Souls will be coming to PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam. Its release date is listed as “coming soon.”
Bleach is back
First released as a manga back in 2001, Bleach is a shonen anime featuring Ichigo Kurosaki, a Japanese high schooler who gains the power to battle evil spirits called Hollows. It enjoyed a successful run as an anime from 2004 to 2014, with a sequel anime titled Thousand-Year Blood War, which adapts the manga’s final arc, being released in 2022 and 2023.
Bleach has a long history with video games across the Nintendo DS, PlayStation, and other consoles, having most recently made an appearance in Jump Force. This is the first standalone Bleach game to be published by Bandai Namco, which is also planning to release Dragon Ball Sparking Zero on October 11.
In addition to the Bleach news, there’s plenty more news from Anime Expo, including a new Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League teaser and more. Expect lots more announcements as the weekend continues.
Kat Bailey is IGN’s News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.
