Legendary JRPG studio’s 23-year shun of the PC has ended: the next Vanillaware game will come to Steam
Japanese video game studio Vanillaware has announced its first-ever release on PC, marking a significant shift after 23 years of exclusively developing console games. The studio, founded in 2002 and known for critically acclaimed titles like Unicorn Overlord, will bring Muramasa: Revenant Blades to Steam in 2027.
Muramasa: Revenant Blades is a revamped version of the 2009 action RPG Muramasa: The Demon Blade, which originally released as a Wii exclusive. The announcement came during a Nintendo Direct presentation, signaling Nintendo’s involvement in the port.
Vanillaware has long maintained a reputation for artistic excellence and innovation in the JRPG genre, despite its avoidance of the PC platform where many of its competitors have found significant audiences. This move represents a major strategic decision for the independent studio to expand its reach beyond traditional console players to the massive PC gaming market.
The release of Muramasa: Revenant Blades on Steam could open doors for the studio’s back catalog to potentially reach PC audiences as well, though no such announcements have been made. The 2027 release date gives the studio time to ensure a quality port of the beloved action RPG for a new audience.