#artplay

"What are they going to do with all that BLOOD?"

Honestly, this floating island is the level of "socially distant" I aim for on some weekends. A cute cabin, a little fence, a tree and nothing but stars and endless space below.… what more do you need? 🌲

It’s tranquil, it’s picturesque, and it is 100% immune to unexpected visitors. Just a cozy life literally floating above the clouds. 💭

Publisher 505 Games and developer ArtPlay have officially announced Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night sequel Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC (Steam). It will launch in 2026.

Here is an overview of the game, via 505 Games senior community manager Jason Ryan on PlayStation Blog:

We are excited to announce Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement, an entirely new 2.5D side-scrolling action RPG. Helmed by Creative Director Shutaro and produced by Iga, this duo is renowned for creating games which are famous for their 2D exploration-style side-scrolling action gameplay. Set in the iconic, gothic world created for Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, this newest installment in the Bloodstained saga brings the rich gameplay and storytelling of its predecessor to all new heights! The story begins in the 16th century where the Ethereal Castle and its demonic inhabitants have been terrorizing the land and laying waste to all who defy their dark power. All attempts to destroy the castle and fight the demons have failed, leaving many noble warriors defeated and lost. The last hope of humanity is an unlikely duo: Leonard, a young Black Wolves apprentice, and Alexander, a knight and the last survivor of White Stags. Together they must work as one to infiltrate the castle, fight for survival, acquire powerful artifacts and defeat the Demon Lord Elias. The duo’s cause will not be easy. Elias is protected by six Sanguinaries, deadly vampires who each wield powerful and unique abilities. If Leo and Alex have any hope of defeating Elias, they must first unravel the Ethereal Castle’s mysteries and defeat its powerful defenders.

A Rich World of Beautiful Darkness

The set piece of The Scarlet Engagement is the Ethereal Castle, the largest and deadliest Bloodstained map to date. The castle is a massive structure crisscrossed with luxurious gothic halls, dark caverns, and deadly traps. Like thorns on a beautiful rose, these new lovely stages hold vicious traps and deadly enemies. Unraveling the mysteries of Elias’ castle and defeating the Sanguinaries will require cunning and bravery…and a steady supply of health potions. Exploration is a hallmark of Bloodstained, and in The Scarlet Engagement, exploration will reward you with powerful relics and resources. Collect ingredients, craft upgrades, discover magical abilities and discover powerful weapons, armor, and enchantments that Leo and Alex will need to emerge victorious. You will be able to equip both Leo and Alex with armor, weapons, and equipment that you acquire while playing. Every wearable piece of armor and clothing item in the game will have its own unique stats and appearance. In addition to uncovering useful items and resources, you’ll encounter a cast of fascinating characters that are part of the lore of Bloodstained. From honorable allies to deadly enemies, each interaction has been fully scripted and recorded with voice-overs in both English and Japanese.

The Power of Two

Every game needs a hero and because the enemies in the Ethereal Castle are so formidable, we realized that this mission can only be accomplished by the combined strength of two souls bound by fate. As such, you’ll have control over both of the game’s two main characters at the same time. One will be under your direct control, while your companion assists in combat. You’re able to switch between the two at the press of a button. This new two-hero style of gameplay is a core element of The Scarlet Engagement. Mastering the system will be critical to Leo and Alex’s success. There are special abilities tied to this system that will prove valuable in many situations. We will reveal more details in a future update! This is just a small preview of what we have been passionately working on! There is so much more to reveal about the game, but we will have to wait! We look forward to showing you more about Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement in the future.

Watch the announcement trailer below.

Announce Trailer

Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement Announce Trailer

Japanese version

First details

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night sequel Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam in 2026.

We are excited to announce Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement, an entirely new 2.5D side-scrolling action RPG. Helmed by Creative Director Shutaro and produced by Iga, this duo is renowned for creating games which are famous for their 2D exploration-style side-scrolling action gameplay.

Set in the iconic, gothic world created for Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, this newest installment in the Bloodstained saga brings the rich gameplay and storytelling of its predecessor to all new heights!

The story begins in the 16th century where the Ethereal Castle and its demonic inhabitants have been terrorizing the land and laying waste to all who defy their dark power. All attempts to destroy the castle and fight the demons have failed, leaving many noble warriors defeated and lost.

The last hope of humanity is an unlikely duo: Leonard, a young Black Wolves apprentice, and Alexander, a knight and the last survivor of White Stags. Together they must work as one to infiltrate the castle, fight for survival, acquire powerful artifacts and defeat the Demon Lord Elias.

The duo’s cause will not be easy. Elias is protected by six Sanguinaries, deadly vampires who each wield powerful and unique abilities.

If Leo and Alex have any hope of defeating Elias, they must first unravel the Ethereal Castle’s mysteries and defeat its powerful defenders.

A Rich World of Beautiful Darkness

The set piece of The Scarlet Engagement is the Ethereal Castle, the largest and deadliest Bloodstained map to date. The castle is a massive structure crisscrossed with luxurious gothic halls, dark caverns, and deadly traps. Like thorns on a beautiful rose, these new lovely stages hold vicious traps and deadly enemies.

Unraveling the mysteries of Elias’ castle and defeating the Sanguinaries will require cunning and bravery…and a steady supply of health potions.

Exploration is a hallmark of Bloodstained, and in The Scarlet Engagement, exploration will reward you with powerful relics and resources.

Collect ingredients, craft upgrades, discover magical abilities and discover powerful weapons, armor, and enchantments that Leo and Alex will need to emerge victorious.

You will be able to equip both Leo and Alex with armor, weapons, and equipment that you acquire while playing. Every wearable piece of armor and clothing item in the game will have its own unique stats and appearance.

In addition to uncovering useful items and resources, you’ll encounter a cast of fascinating characters that are part of the lore of Bloodstained. From honorable allies to deadly enemies, each interaction has been fully scripted and recorded with voice-overs in both English and Japanese.

The Power of Two

Every game needs a hero and because the enemies in the Ethereal Castle are so formidable, we realized that this mission can only be accomplished by the combined strength of two souls bound by fate. As such, you’ll have control over both of the game’s two main characters at the same time.

One will be under your direct control, while your companion assists in combat. You’re able to switch between the two at the press of a button.

This new two-hero style of gameplay is a core element of The Scarlet Engagement. Mastering the system will be critical to Leo and Alex’s success.

There are special abilities tied to this system that will prove valuable in many situations. We will reveal more details in a future update!

Miriam, of the wonderful smash hit indie franchise Bloodstained! Although I had no means of backing it myself, it was easily my most anticipated game of last decade since I first saw several of my favorite YouTubers at the time talk about its Kickstarter campaign.

...and let me tell you, if even a rough Switch port still managed to be an immensely enjoyable experience before patching, you've got a damn fantastic game on your hands. Please give it a shot if you haven't already. ...or y'know, buy the Circle of the Moon games if you love retro action games, they'll scratch that itch real good.

And, for the sake of letting you know that I'm genuinely improving with my art and preserving it, here is a previous Miriam piece I did in 2020. It's uh... not especially good, but never mind that!