There can never be enough Metroidvania titles to go around, especially as developers find new mechanics and gameplay techniques to liven up the experience. Back in 2019, ArtPlay made an impressive debut with Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, and after a long while, the team is back with more. Alongside publisher 505 Games, the franchise unveiled its next title in Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement during the June State of Play presentation.

Instead of continuing the story from where it left off, the team is going back. Set in England during the 16th Century and before the events of the first game, a mysterious floating castle under the control of Demon Lord Elias has begun terrorising the people with its demonic forces.

To stop him will be the two new protagonists: Leonard Brandon, a young fighter with the Church’s Black Wolves clan, and Alexander Kyteler, a knight of the Kingdom’s White Stags. Working together, the pair will infiltrate the castle, fight off the demons, get stronger, and eventually bring down Elias.

Of course, that will never be an easy task, as the Demon Lord is protected by six dangerous Sanguinaries, otherwise known as vampires.

A twist is that instead of one main character, you will be controlling both Brandon and Kyteler at the same time. You will directly control the active one, whereas the other will assist in combat to give the dark creatures a bad time. You can switch between the two at any time, and it will be interesting to see just how that plays out, especially with special abilities thrown into the mix.

In Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement, players will have the luxury of exploring a much larger map in the Ethereal Castle. Expect to find plenty of paths, enemies, allies, treasures, and secrets, with exploration a key part of the formula. This way, you will obtain more upgrades with weapons, armour, and items, with each wearable piece of armour and clothing having its unique stats and appearances.

“We’re thrilled to reveal Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement. The entire ArtPlay team is honoured to bring this new chapter in the Bloodstained universe to life, and we’re proud to once again partner with our friends at 505 Games,” said Koji Igarashi, co-founder and president of ArtPlay.

Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement is coming to PlayStation 5, PC, and Xbox Series X|S in 2026.