The Castlevania franchise appears to be entering another major phase of its long-awaited return. While earlier reports about a new AAA Castlevania game circulated as rumors, Konami has now provided a much stronger indication that another project based on the legendary gothic franchise is actively being developed.
The important distinction is that Konami has not officially announced a specific AAA Castlevania title yet. The company has also not revealed its developer, gameplay style, platforms, setting or release window. What has changed is that Konami president Hideki Hayakawa has publicly confirmed that the company is actively developing Castlevania as part of its broader strategy for bringing established franchises back to the market.
Konami Confirms Castlevania Is Being Developed
The latest information comes from an interview with Nikkei Gaming involving Konami Digital Entertainment president Hideki Hayakawa. While discussing the company’s approach to its established franchises, Hayakawa explained that Konami sees reviving its older intellectual properties as an important part of its future strategy.
He specifically mentioned Castlevania alongside other major Konami properties and stated that the company is actively developing Castlevania. The statement does not identify the project itself, meaning it is still unclear whether Konami is working on a completely new entry, a remake, a reboot or another interpretation of the franchise.
That distinction is particularly important because the term “reboot” has been used broadly when describing Konami’s current strategy. Recent projects across its portfolio include remakes, new entries and different interpretations of established series, so Hayakawa’s comments do not necessarily confirm a traditional continuity reset.
Earlier AAA Castlevania Rumors
Interestingly, this is not the first time a major Castlevania project has been rumored.
In February 2025, reports claimed that a new AAA Castlevania game was in development and could be announced that year. The reports originated from Portuguese outlet GeekinOut and were also associated with comments from games journalist Daniel Camilo, who listed a new AAA Castlevania among projects he expected to be revealed.
That expected 2025 announcement never materialized, leaving the original AAA claim unconfirmed.
The new 2026 comments from Konami are therefore significant, but they still do not prove that the current project is exactly the same AAA game described in those earlier reports.
Castlevania Is Already Making a Major Return
Konami’s commitment to Castlevania is easier to understand when looking at the franchise’s current activity.
Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse is officially scheduled to launch on October 15, 2026, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, Nintendo Switch and Steam. The game is being developed with Evil Empire and Motion Twin and follows Rose Belmont in a 2D action-exploration adventure set in 1499 Paris.
However, Belmont’s Curse should not automatically be assumed to be the mysterious AAA project mentioned in the new reporting. It is already a publicly announced 2D title, while Hayakawa’s comments indicate that Castlevania is being actively developed as part of Konami’s wider franchise strategy.
That leaves open the possibility of another Castlevania project existing alongside Belmont’s Curse.
What Could the New Castlevania Game Be?
At this stage, almost every major detail remains unknown.
Konami has not confirmed whether the project will use a 3D action-adventure format, return to traditional 2D Metroidvania gameplay, remake an older installment or introduce an entirely new storyline.
A large-scale 3D Castlevania would naturally draw comparisons with Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, while a modern Metroidvania could build on the design philosophy that made titles such as Symphony of the Night influential.
There is also no confirmed information about the developer, engine, playable characters, setting, platforms or release date.
What Happens Next?
For now, the safest conclusion is that Konami is genuinely working on Castlevania, but the specific project shown in the image remains undefined.
The older AAA rumor should therefore no longer be treated as the primary evidence. The strongest evidence is now Konami leadership’s own statement that Castlevania is actively being developed.
With Belmont’s Curse arriving in October 2026 and Konami openly discussing the importance of reviving its classic franchises, more information about Castlevania’s future could eventually emerge.
For now, fans will have to wait for Konami to reveal exactly what its next major Castlevania project is.