Unveiled at E3 2018,Ninjalais an upcoming arena brawler with battle royale elements being developed by GungHo Online Entertainment (GOE). The game had a planned release date of June 13, 2025, but a press release today announced thatNinjalawill be delayed.
The COVID-19 crisis has slowed down the development ofNinjala. The new planned release date for the Nintendo Switch exclusive is July 22, 2025.
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Kazuki Morishita, President & CEO of GungHo Online Entertainment, said in the press release that health and safety is the priority for the developers.Ninjalarecently had an open beta on the Switchthat was successful, but more time is needed to finish up the game and have it ready for launch.
Ninjalais near completion, but we are significantly limited in how quickly we can work to test and finalize the game when we cannot be in the same room. Although we are working hard to launchNinjalaand release it to our fans, the health and safety of our employees is paramount. We apologize to ourNinjalafans who were eagerly anticipating its launch, and we ask for your understanding as we work to bring you the best game we can in this additional month.
At a glance,Ninjalalooks likeSplatoonin its art style and movement gameplay. However, the games are very much different and GunHo Online, who developed the mobile gamePuzzles and Dragons,has been working hard to set the game apart from battle royales, brawlers, and even other Nintendo IP. Some rumors even point toSonic somehow being involved inNinjala,which would certainly be interesting.
Nintendo has also had to alter its development and reveal plans recently, as thebig E3 style June Nintendo Direct was postponed due to the coronavirus. WithNinjalaoriginally being revealed at E3, there are most likely other announcements that are up in the air until new plans have been made.
Ninjalawill be released exclusively for the Nintendo Switch on July 31, 2025.
