Castlevania: Belmont's Curse launches October 15, 2026, sending Rose Belmont to 1499 Paris
Evil Empire's 2D Castlevania, set 23 years after Dracula's Curse, costs $29.99 and reached a Metascore of 86 on PS5 before launch.
Castlevania: Belmont's Curse, the new Castlevania made for the series' 40th anniversary, launches on October 15, 2026 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and PC. It is a 2D action-exploration game developed by Evil Empire and published by Konami, with Motion Twin, the studio behind Dead Cells, advising. The standard edition costs $29.99, and the reviews published before launch gave it a Metascore of 86 on PlayStation 5.
A Belmont in Paris
The story is set in Paris in 1499, 23 years after Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse. The hero is Rose Belmont, daughter of Trevor Belmont, and Konami's announcement sends her through the city's streets, the catacombs beneath it and Dracula's castle. Abby Trott voices Rose, and Graham McTavish plays Dracula.
Konami first showed the game at a PlayStation State of Play in February 2026, and a second trailer followed at the Xbox Games Showcase in June 2026.
How it plays
Despite the Dead Cells connection, this is not a roguelite. It follows the Symphony of the Night model: one large map that fills in as you explore, gates that open with keys taken from each area's boss, and experience points that raise Rose's stats.
- The whip does double duty. The Vampire Killer is both Rose's main weapon and her way across chasms and up to ledges. Swords, spears and gauntlets sit beside it in the armoury.
- No candle sub-weapons. Earlier Belmonts picked up axes and holy water from breakable objects. Rose's special abilities are tarot cards instead.
- Bosses give powers. Each defeated boss leaves an ability, stored as an Arcana, which grows stronger through "Works of Mercy", challenges that ask you to use it under set conditions.
- Mirrors serve as save points and for fast travel.
Editions, Switch and reviews
The Midnight Edition, at $39.99, adds a 71-track sound and art gallery, costumes styled after Trevor and Sypha, and a relic called Family's Grace. Buying any edition by launch adds an Alucard-style costume.
The Switch version was first planned for later in 2026, until Konami confirmed on July 15, 2026 that it would launch on the same day as the others. It targets 30 frames per second, against 60 on the other platforms.
On October 14, 2026, Metacritic listed a Metascore of 86 for PlayStation 5 from 54 reviews, 88 on Xbox, 82 on PC and 78 on Switch, the last two from fewer reviews.
The free demo, released on October 1, 2026, covers the opening areas and the first boss, The Fallen, and its progress carries over to the full game. No native Nintendo Switch 2 version has been announced.
Platforms: PCPlayStationXboxSwitch