After the massive success of Ghost of Tsushima, fans of Sucker Punch’s open-world samurai franchise have been picking apart every crumb of information about the upcoming Ghost of Yotei. From the feudal Hokkaido setting to the new protagonist rumored to be an Ainu warrior, every detail sparks hours of debate across Reddit, Discord, and gaming forums. One question that pops up again and again in these discussions is will Ghost of Yotei have new game plus. Longtime players of the first game know how much replay value the NG+ mode added, so it’s no surprise people want to know if they’ll get to carry their hard-earned gear and upgrades into a second playthrough.
Will Ghost of Yotei Have New Game Plus: What We Know Right Now
As of now, Sucker Punch has not made an official announcement confirming or denying a new game plus mode for Ghost of Yotei. But that doesn’t mean we don’t have plenty of clues to work with. Back in 2020, when Ghost of Tsushima first launched, there was no NG+ mode available on day one. Sucker Punch spent the first few months after launch collecting feedback from players, and released the NG+ update as part of a free patch that also added new difficulty options, photo mode features, and side content. That update was so well received that over 40% of players who had already finished the base game jumped back in for a second playthrough within a week of the patch dropping.
Sucker Punch has a track record of adding high-requested quality of life features post-launch, so it’s very likely we’ll see NG+ come to Yotei at some point. The studio has been running informal fan surveys on their social media channels for the past year, asking players what features they most want to see in the new game. NG+ consistently ranks in the top three most requested items, right behind co-op play and more customization options for gear. While we don’t have official confirmation that Ghost of Yotei will have new game plus, we can make pretty accurate guesses based on the studio’s past work.
What Would a Ghost of Yotei New Game Plus Mode Look Like?
If Yotei’s NG+ follows the pattern set by Tsushima, we can expect a mix of standard NG+ features and franchise-specific twists that make the second playthrough feel fresh, not just a repeat of the first. Carry over all unlocked gear, upgrades, and skill points is a given for any modern open world NG+ mode, so you won’t have to grind for hours to get your favorite armor or weapon back when you start a new run. Enemies will also be scaled to match your higher power level, so you won’t be one-shotting basic enemies for the first 10 hours of play.
- Full carryover of all unlocked weapons, armor, cosmetics, and skill tree upgrades from your first playthrough
- Adjusted enemy difficulty and new enemy attack patterns that match your higher power level
- Exclusive NG+ only armor sets, weapon skins, and vanity items you can't earn in the base game
- Option to skip all story cutscenes and fast travel between all regions from the start of the playthrough
- Optional new challenge modifiers, like permadeath or no health regen, for players who want extra difficulty
Some fans have also speculated that Yotei's NG+ could add co-op functionality, similar to the Legends mode in Ghost of Tsushima, but that's a much bigger ask than a standard NG+ mode, so it's less likely to be part of the initial NG+ update. If co-op does come to Yotei, it will probably be a separate, larger post-launch update, not tied directly to NG+. That means you won't have to wait for co-op to drop if you just want to replay the story with your endgame build.
Why New Game Plus Is Such a High Priority for Ghost of Yotei Fans
If you’ve never played a game with a good NG+ mode, you might be wondering why fans are so obsessed with this feature. Open world games with deep customization systems benefit the most from NG+ modes, because they let players experiment with builds they didn't get to try on their first playthrough. For example, if you focused on stealth in your first run of Yotei, you could go back in NG+ and try a full melee samurai build without having to unlock all the melee skills again from scratch.
A lot of players also love to 100% complete the game on their first run, but miss out on experiencing the story naturally because they're too busy collecting every resource and completing every side quest. NG+ lets them go back and enjoy the story at a more relaxed pace, without worrying about missing collectibles or upgrades, because they already have all the best gear from the start. Many fans say they won’t even consider replaying Yotei unless Ghost of Yotei has new game plus, because they don’t want to lose all their progress after their first run. I’ve seen dozens of threads on the Ghost of Yotei subreddit where fans say they’ll immediately replay the game as soon as NG+ drops, even if they finish the base game the week it launches.
What to Do If You Want to Be First to Know About Ghost of Yotei NG+ News
Until Sucker Punch makes an official announcement, all info about Yotei’s NG+ is just speculation, but there are a few easy ways to make sure you get the news as soon as it drops. Follow the official Sucker Punch Productions social media accounts – they usually announce new features there first, before any gaming news outlets get hold of the info. They also often share behind-the-scenes snippets and fan polls, so you can even weigh in on what features you want to see included in the NG+ update.
You can also sign up for the official PlayStation newsletter, because they often share exclusive details about first-party PlayStation games like Ghost of Yotei, and sometimes send out early access codes for post-launch updates. Joining the official Ghost of Yotei Discord server is another good option, since fans share leaks and official updates as soon as they drop, and you can chat with other players about what you want to see in NG+.
Don’t trust any third-party sites that claim to have confirmed NG+ details before Sucker Punch makes an official announcement, most of them are just making up content to get clicks, and their “leaks” are usually just fan theories repackaged as real news. If you're really eager to test out possible NG+ builds early, you can experiment with different playstyles in Ghost of Tsushima's NG+ mode right now. It's a great way to get a feel for what might work in Yotei, since the core combat and stealth mechanics are likely to be very similar, even with the new features added for the Hokkaido setting.
At the end of the day, we’re still waiting for official word on will Ghost of Yotei have new game plus, but all signs point to yes, based on Sucker Punch’s past practices and fan demand. Even if it doesn’t launch alongside the base game, we can almost certainly expect it to arrive in a free post-launch update a few months after release, just like it did for Ghost of Tsushima. Until we get official confirmation, you can spend the time brushing up on your Ghost of Tsushima skills, and brainstorming what build you want to try first if NG+ does launch for Yotei.