Last night’s Game Awards featured several reveals, including confirmation that a sequel to Okami is in the works. The original cult classic was developed by Clover Studio. Its sequel will be developed by Clovers Studio.
The Japanese developer was quietly spun up in 2023 and is led by director Hideki Kamiya, who helmed the first Okami. Unlike its predecessor, Clovers is not a Capcom subsidiary, and is working with staff from Capcom’s M2 and Machine Head teams on the sequel.
In his announcement post, Kamiya admitted that he “didn’t think the day would really come where I’d return to Okami and continue the story with my own hands.”
“All of this has come together to create this miracle, for which I am deeply grateful,” he added. “This project is finally in motion. We are ready to fill this new Okami with many colorful flowers, and to do our best to fulfill the promise of ‘next time’ in the best way. Everyone please wait with anticipation.”
The once and future Okami
Okami released in 2006 for the PlayStation 2, and was Clover’s penultimate game before the studio closed the following year. Prior to its shutdown, Kamiya was one of several high-profile exits alongside Shinji Mikami and Atsushi Inaba. Mikami went on to found the once dead, now revived Tango Gameworks, and Kamiya started PlatinumGames before leaving in 2023.
In August 2023, Capcom revealed Okami and the 2010 Nintendo DS game Okamiden have collectively sold over 4 million copies. In the 18 years since its initial release, Okami has been remastered for modern platforms such as the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4.
The unnamed Okami project wasn’t last night’s only surprise blast from the past. Capcom also revealed another project at the Game Awards: Onimusha: Way of the Sword, the first new major entry in its samurai hack-and-slash series since 2006’s Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams. Unlike Okami, that game has a release target of 2026.