Publisher 505 Games and developer ArtPlay have announced Bloodstained prequel Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement for 2026.
Set in England during the 16th Century, before the events of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, The Scarlet Engagement sees a mysterious floating castle under the control of Demon Lord Elias terrorizing the people with its demonic forces. You play as two new protagonists: Leonard Brandon — a young fighter with the Church’s Black Wolves clan — and Alexander Kyteler, a knight of the Kingdom’s White Stags. Together, they rise to defeat Demon Lord Elias’ reign of terror and shatter the chains of a kingdom tormented by evil forces.
Created by Koji Igarashi, the mastermind behind classic games like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, The Scarlet Engagement promises a “fresh cast of allies and foes” that will hint at “deep connections” with its predecessor, while remaining accessible to new players without prior knowledge of the game’s intricate lore.
You can play as both Leo and Alex simultaneously and discover new moves and combos as you explore Bloodstained’s “largest map yet,” which includes day-night cycles. These not only shift light and darkness, but also the way you interact with the world. There’s also crafting, cooking, and customization.
Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement doesn’t have a specific release date, but it’s set for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X and S sometime in 2026.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night released in 2019, and we thought “the wait was worth it,” awarding it a Great 8.8, writing: “Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is a whole new castle to crash full of unexpected monsters and mysteries in the vein of classic Castlevania.”
Of course, this isn’t the only game announcement we’ve had recently. Sony kicked off the summer reveal season with a bang, presenting a smorgasbord of new games to whet our appetites going into Summer Games Fest Week. Here’s everything announced at PlayStation State of Play 2025 last night, including 007 First Light, Marvel Tokon Fighting Souls, Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles, Romeo is a Dead Man, and Silent Hill f’s release date.
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
