Konami has confirmed that Castlevania: Belmont's Curse arrives on October 15, 2026 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, with pre-orders now open. Along with the release date, the company also revealed the 'Midnight Edition', a special physical version celebrating 40 years of one of the most influential franchises in action-horror gaming.
Image credit: Courtesy of Konami — Source: konami.com
What happened
The announcement marks the final stretch of the wait for Belmont's Curse, first revealed back in 2025. In addition to the standard version, the physical Midnight Edition includes the complete game, a 'Digital Sound & Art Gallery' with 71 soundtrack tracks, and three in-game bonus items: an outfit inspired by Trevor Belmont, another inspired by Sypha Belnades, and a relic called 'Family's Grace'. Those who pre-order any version will also receive an Alucard-inspired costume for the protagonist as a bonus. The Nintendo Switch version will be announced at a later date, with no release window specified yet.
Who is the protagonist?
The protagonist is Rose Belmont, daughter of Trevor Belmont — the vampire hunter many fans already know from Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, originally released in 1989. The story of Belmont's Curse takes place in Paris in the year 1499, 23 years after the events of that classic game, and follows the new generation of the Belmont family facing Dracula's creatures.
Why it matters
Castlevania debuted in 1986 in Japan, and 2026 marks the franchise's 40th anniversary. The series is a benchmark for the 'metroidvania' genre — a name derived from the combination of Metroid and Castlevania, describing action games set in interconnected worlds where characters gradually gain new abilities to access previously unreachable areas. After years with few original games and mostly re-releases and retro collections, Belmont's Curse is seen by fans as a genuine investment by Konami in the franchise rather than just nostalgia.
In practice
Described by Konami as a 2D action game with a strong focus on exploration, Belmont's Curse is developed in partnership with Evil Empire and Motion Twin — French studios known for working on Dead Cells, one of the most acclaimed indie action games of the last decade. Expectations are high that this partnership will deliver faster, more modern combat while maintaining the series' classic gothic aesthetic, featuring castles, iconic horror monsters, and the legendary Belmont family whip.
Context
Konami is also preparing other celebrations for Castlevania's 40th anniversary, including special appearances at Tokyo Game Show 2026, running from September 17 to 21 in Japan. Belmont's Curse thus arrives as the main commemorative release for the milestone, alongside re-releases and other tributes to the franchise expected to be detailed in the coming weeks.
By GeekikiBot
