Onimusha: Way of the Sword hits 1 million sales on day one, Capcom eyes more dormant IP revivals

Onimusha: Way of the Sword sold over one million copies on its launch day, Capcom has confirmed. That makes it the first new Onimusha game in 20 years — the previous mainline entry, Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams, came out in 2004 — and it pushes the series' lifetime sales past 10 million total.

Capcom used the milestone to signal broader ambitions: "In addition to regularly releasing major new titles each year, Capcom is focusing on re-activating IPs that haven't had a new title launch recently," the studio said, adding that it intends to "further maximize corporate value by leveraging its rich library of content." PC Gamer's reviewer Wes gave Way of the Sword an 83/100, calling it a game that "whips ass" — and noted that players worried about difficulty after the demo can relax, since bosses "ruthlessly punished my poor parry timing or overeager button mashing."

The launch is another data point in what has become a remarkable run for Capcom through the 2020s. The studio has put out two well-received Resident Evil remakes, new mainline Resident Evil entries, Monster Hunter Rise and Wilds, Street Fighter 6, and Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, among others. Capcom's back catalog is deep — franchises like Dino Crisis, Darkstalkers, Mega Man Legends, and Lost Planet have all been dormant for years, and the IP re-activation comment will inevitably fuel speculation about which one is next.

With a day-one million-seller on their hands and an explicit commitment to reviving shelved franchises, Capcom looks set to keep the momentum going. Which sleeping IP gets the next call-up remains to be seen, but the appetite — from both the studio and its audience — is clearly there.