As part of Thursday’s PlayStation State of Play event, Bandai Namco Entertainment announced the latest release in the popularNaruto Ultimate Ninja Stormseries. Introduced asNaruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections, it not only builds on the legacy of the past fourUltimate Ninja Stormreleases but expands into an exciting new era. The latestNaruto Ultimate Ninja Stormtitle will be released in 2023 in celebration ofNaruto’s 20th anniversary.
It has been nearly six years since the release ofNaruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4and itsRoad to Borutoexpansion. It was, in many ways, a fitting culmination for the franchise. Developer CyberConnect2 took the opportunity to work on other projects, afterward. It made new licensed anime games in the.hack,Dragon Ball Z,Demon Slayer, andJojo’s Bizarre Adventurefranchises. But an eventual return toNarutoalways seemed inevitable, especially with thesuccess of theBorutoanime and manga.
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The long wait is over andNaruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connectionshas been announced. It will be both a celebration of theNaruto Ultimate Ninja Stormfranchise up to this point, as well as pushing the franchise forward in a new direction. To the first point,Naruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connectionsfeaturesall 124 ninjas fromNaruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 Road to Boruto, plus edited scenes from all four priorUltimate Ninja Stormgames' story modes.
Naruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connectionsis expanding in new ways, too. New fighters will be added to the game, with bothAshura Otsutsuki and Indra Otsutsukibeing the first additions to be confirmed. There will also be an original story available, new even to fans of theNarutoandBorutomangas and anime series.
Lastly, whileNaruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connectionswill be building on the gameplay ofNaruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4, it will be updated to feature new visuals and 60FPS on next-gen consoles. It should be a modern definitive edition for a series many thought might end with the conclusion ofNaruto Shippuden.
SomeNarutofans may be disappointed thatNaruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connectionsisn’t necessarily a full-fledged sequel to theUltimate Ninja Stormfranchise. Even so, expect CyberConnect2 to make sure this release is special andcelebrates theNarutofranchiseas it deserves. At the very least, it should refresh the game’s community and provide a great opportunity to play someNaruto Ultimate Ninja Stormwith friends once more.
Naruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connectionsreleases in 2023 on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
