Konami is reviving its long-dormant Castlevania franchise with a new side-scrolling title, Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse, developed by studio Evil Empire, according to a report published by The Guardian on July 17, 2026. The game is scheduled to launch in October 2026 and marks the first new series entry since Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 released in 2014. The report states the new game returns the series to its 2D action roots after a period of 3D experimentation, and places players in the role of Rose Belmont, daughter of Trevor Belmont, fighting through demon-infested Paris in the year 1499.
What Happened
The Guardian reports that Evil Empire’s creative team explained the studio’s approach to balancing homage to the original Castlevania legacy with the conventions of modern “metroidvania” games. The term “metroidvania” is a portmanteau of Metroid and Castlevania and refers to exploration-based action titles with interconnected maps and ability-gated progression. According to the report, the genre has expanded significantly since 2014, with an entire generation of players experiencing games inspired by Konami’s earlier Castlevania titles rather than the original series itself.
Belmont’s Curse is set 23 years after the events of Castlevania 3, released in 1989, the same setting later used by the Netflix animated series. The report states that the game opens with a bishop pleading with the Belmont family to rid Paris of an ancient evil. Rose Belmont, armed with a longsword, descends into the Paris sewers to begin her demon-slaying mission. The Guardian reports that Joan of Arc appears as a boss character in the game.
Evil Empire told The Guardian that the title includes “much fresh slaying to be done” and described the project as a return to the series’ fundamentals while engaging with expectations built by later metroidvania releases. The report notes that Konami hopes the title will help the company reclaim its position in the side-scrolling action market.
Why It Matters
The Castlevania series has been inactive for roughly 12 years, during which the metroidvania genre grew through both independent and major studio output. The Guardian reports that many current players have only experienced games influenced by Castlevania rather than a first-party Konami release. The revival represents a corporate effort to re-enter a market segment that matured without the company’s direct participation.
From an industry perspective, the return of a legacy franchise under a new development partner raises questions about intellectual property stewardship, creative continuity, and the commercial viability of 2D action games in a market dominated by high-budget 3D titles. The report frames Konami’s move as an attempt to reclaim a “side-scroller throne” the company once occupied.
Background and Context
Castlevania first established its Gothic horror action formula in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The Guardian notes that Castlevania 3 (1989) serves as the narrative backdrop for Belmont’s Curse, which follows 23 years after that game’s events. The franchise later shifted toward 3D with the Lords of Shadow subseries, concluding with Lords of Shadow 2 in 2014.
The metroidvania genre, named in part after Castlevania, developed into a distinct category through titles that emphasized non-linear exploration and incremental ability unlocks. The Guardian reports that this genre’s growth occurred largely in Konami’s absence from the series, with studios outside the company building on the template the original games helped establish.
The Netflix Castlevania animated series expanded the franchise’s reach to a broader audience and used settings consistent with the classic games. The Guardian reports that Belmont’s Curse shares the Paris setting established in that adaptation’s timeline.
Competing Claims or Uncertainty
The Guardian’s report is based on statements from Evil Empire creatives and does not include independent verification of gameplay mechanics, final release scope, or critical reception. The article does not provide hands-on preview impressions from external reviewers, sales projections, or confirmation of platform availability beyond a reference to console launch.
The report describes Evil Empire’s own framing of the game as both legacy-honoring and modernized. No counter-statements from Konami executives or external developers are included. The commercial outcome remains untested, and the report does not cite competing genre titles or market analysis from third parties.
What To Watch Next
According to the report, the game is set to launch in October 2026. Observable developments ahead include official platform confirmation, public demo availability, critical previews from independent outlets, and Konami’s marketing positioning relative to other metroidvania releases scheduled in the same window. The performance of Belmont’s Curse will indicate whether legacy franchises can re-enter matured genres without prior iterative presence.
Conclusion
Konami’s Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse, as reported by The Guardian, represents a structured attempt to reintroduce a dormant franchise into a genre it helped originate but did not actively occupy for over a decade. The game’s Paris sewer setting, historical boss characters, and return to 2D action reflect a documented creative direction from Evil Empire. Verified assessment of the title’s execution and market reception will depend on material released after the reported October 2026 launch.
Analysis: The revival indicates Konami is leveraging a historically significant intellectual property to re-enter a market segment that has matured without the company’s direct participation. Evil Empire’s stated approach of balancing legacy homage with modern genre expectations reflects a common strategy for rebooting long-dormant franchises, though the commercial performance of the title remains untested. The selection of a Paris sewer setting and a historical figure as a boss suggests a continued reliance on Gothic and historical remixing that defined earlier entries.
Sources
The Guardian — Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse — Konami classic rises again from Paris sewers and Joan of Arc is a boss (July 17, 2026): https://www.theguardian.com/games/2026/jul/17/castlevania-belmonts-curse-komani-classic-paris-joan-of-arc-is-a-boss
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Story synopsis gathered from: Guardian International — source
