Konami has made it clear that Castlevania: Belmont's Curse, announced during Sony's State of Play showcase last month as part of the series' 40th anniversary celebration, will stick to classic Castlevania gameplay rather than adopting roguelike mechanics. This clarification comes despite the involvement of Motion Twin, the studio behind the popular roguelike Dead Cells.
In a statement to The Verge earlier this week, Konami's Tommy Williams emphasized the game's traditional roots. "Castlevania Belmont's Curse is a 2D action-exploration game where players can freely explore vast, elaborately crafted maps," Williams said. "It is not a roguelike or roguelite game."
The need for this clarification arose after the announcement trailer sparked speculation among fans. Some viewers thought they spotted a whip card pop-up on screen, reminiscent of roguelike power-ups, leading to questions about the gameplay direction.
Fan reactions on Reddit have been largely positive following Konami's statement. One user commented, "Okay NOW I'm interested. I'm so sick of Metroidvania games that are roguelike or roguelite or Soulslike, for that matter." Another simply stated, "I wouldn't want it any other way, to be honest."
Castlevania: Belmont's Curse is scheduled for release later this year on Nintendo Switch, PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, with pre-orders already available. Co-developed by Evil Empire and Motion Twin, this stylized 2D adventure is set in 1499, where Medieval Paris is engulfed in flames as monstrous creatures emerge from the shadows. Players will take on the role of Trevor Belmont's successor, armed with the legendary Vampire Killer whip, to hunt down beasts in the burning streets and looming castle.
Konami notes that this announcement marks just the beginning of celebrations for the series' fourth decade, which began with the original Nintendo Entertainment System game and has since expanded to include a highly successful adult animated series on Netflix.
