What it is
Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse is a newly announced, officially licensed Castlevania entry from Konami developed with French studio Evil Empire (with Motion Twin credited in an advisory role). It is a 2D action‑exploration title that returns the series to side‑view, platforming and hack‑and‑slash roots while adding a clearer RPG-lite structure — weapons, relics, an “Arcana” boss card system and equipment customisation. The game is set in Paris in 1499 and follows Rose Belmont as she fights to stop a fresh outbreak of monsters and the return of Dracula.
- UK release
- 15 October 2026 (Thursday) — confirmed by KONAMI EU product page
- Platforms
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Windows (Steam and Xbox on PC), Nintendo Switch — confirmed
- Developer
- Evil Empire (Motion Twin credited as advisor) — confirmed by KONAMI
- Publisher
- Konami Digital Entertainment — confirmed
- UK price
- Not confirmed — UK RRP not published by Konami at time of writing
- PEGI
- PEGI 16 — confirmed on KONAMI product pages and Nintendo storefront
- Genre
- 2D action‑exploration / platform with RPG elements — confirmed
- Online mode
- No — single‑player only (players: single system/1 on official product listings)
- Game Pass / PS Plus
- Not confirmed — no publisher statement about day‑one subscription availability
Story and setting
The action takes place in Paris in the year 1499, 23 years after the events of Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse. Your protagonist is Rose Belmont — presented as the daughter/successor of Trevor Belmont — who ventures through burning streets and into Dracula’s looming castle to stop a wave of monstrous creatures. Konami’s official materials name series staples such as Death, Medusa and Carmilla among the bosses, and say defeated bosses are sealed into Rose’s tarot cards and become “Arcanas”, which grant spells and unique special actions.
How it plays
Konami and developer Evil Empire describe the game as an exploration‑based 2D action title that mixes platforming, hack‑and‑slash combat and role‑playing systems. The official product pages list seven weapon categories plus Relics that trigger offensive and defensive effects, and an Arcana system that converts bosses into usable abilities. The presentation is side‑view; Konami states the target frame rate is 60fps on most platforms (30fps on Nintendo Switch). The ESRB and developer videos show blood and violence consistent with a teen/adult tone rather than kid‑friendly fare.
Platforms, editions and UK details
Konami has confirmed release across current consoles and PC: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Windows (Steam and Xbox on PC) and Nintendo Switch, with a worldwide launch date of Thursday 15 October 2026. Konami is offering a standard digital edition and a Midnight Edition (physical and digital) that bundles a digital soundtrack/art gallery and in‑game costume/items; the publisher’s EU product page also lists an Alucard-style costume as an early purchase/pre‑order bonus. The game carries a PEGI 16 classification. Pre‑orders opened alongside the announcement of the Midnight Edition on Konami’s site; UK retail listings appear on Nintendo and the Xbox store pages. Konami’s pages list supported audio/text languages and minimum install sizes by edition/platform.
Trailers, reveals and what was shown
Konami premiered the game during its 2026 showcase activity (the announcement trailer and subsequent gameplay trailers are posted on KONAMI’s official channels). The announcement material set the setting (1499 Paris) and protagonist (Rose Belmont); later trailers revealed English voice casting (Rose voiced by Abby Trott, Dracula by Graham McTavish) and showed combat, exploration, the Arcana tarot mechanic and examples of bosses and stage design. Konami and Xbox press coverage (including an Xbox Wire feature) have framed the project as a partnership led by Evil Empire with Motion Twin as a creative consultant and have emphasised Evil Empire’s prior link to Castlevania via Dead Cells DLC work.
What remains unconfirmed
Price: Konami has published the Midnight Edition contents but has not published official UK RRP in pounds on the EU product page or storefronts we can verify. Platform exclusivity on subscription services: there is no confirmed information that Belmont’s Curse will be available day‑one on Xbox Game Pass or on PlayStation Plus. There are additional platform build details (for example any Xbox Series X|S-specific enhancements) that Konami has not detailed beyond frame‑rate targets and minimum install sizes. Any features beyond single‑player (for example post‑launch co‑op, DLC timetable, or cross‑save) have not been confirmed by the publisher.
Not yet confirmed
- Official UK RRP in pounds for any edition and retailer-specific offers
- Day‑one inclusion on Xbox Game Pass or PlayStation Plus
- Specific platform technical differences beyond Konami’s stated frame‑rate/size guidance
- Any post‑launch DLC road map or online features beyond single‑player
Castlevania: Belmont's Curse: your questions
When is Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse released in the UK?
Konami has dated the release for Thursday 15 October 2026; that is the confirmed worldwide launch date on the publisher’s EU product page.
Which platforms will it appear on?
Konami lists PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Windows (Steam and Xbox on PC) and Nintendo Switch as confirmed platforms.
Does the game support multiplayer or online co‑op?
No — official product listings and storefront entries identify the game as single‑player (players: single system/1); Konami has not announced any online modes.
What is included in the Midnight Edition and pre‑order bonuses?
Konami’s Midnight Edition bundles the main game, a digital soundtrack and art gallery plus in‑game bonuses (Trevor and Sypha style costumes are listed); an Alucard‑style costume is advertised as an early purchase/pre‑order bonus. Exact physical/digital retailer bundles and UK price are not yet published.
What age rating does it have in Europe?
The game is PEGI 16 on Konami’s EU product pages and on major storefronts such as Nintendo and Xbox.
