Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse launches October 15, 2026 on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox on PC (Windows). Publisher KONAMI developed the game in partnership with Evil Empire, the studio that handled Dead Cells updates and DLC, and Motion Twin, the Dead Cells creator that advised on the project. The launch details come from the Xbox Wire announcement on October 14, 2026.
The title is the first original 2D Castlevania in 18 years, arriving 40 years after Simon Belmont’s 1986 debut. It stars Rose Belmont, daughter of Trevor Belmont and Sypha Belnades from the Netflix Castlevania animated series. Set in Paris in 1499, the story has Trevor and Rose arrive after being summoned by the Bishop to confront a mysterious evil terrorizing the city, and Trevor passes the family role to his daughter.
What the game is
Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse returns to the 2D action-exploration format of the series that helped give the Metroidvania genre its name. The developers detailed the game’s origins and why they shunned AI earlier this year. The format will feel familiar to players of Dead Cells, the game whose updates and DLC Evil Empire previously handled.
How Rose Belmont fights
Rose has seven weapon types: longsword, whip, gauntlets, spear, greatsword, sword and shield, and twin swords, each with its own move set. The iconic whip doubles as a grappling hook, letting her swing toward rings and latch onto enemies to pull herself in for an attack. A parry mechanic is included for defense.
The tarot Arcana system is inherited from Rose’s late mother Sypha. Defeating each boss grants a spell tied to that boss’s Arcana, and defeated bosses become voices in Rose’s head that comment through the rest of the game. Each Arcana has two to three associated achievements called Works of Mercy that unlock points to upgrade the spell’s effects. Three relic slots support different playstyles, and weapons, spells, and relics can be swapped at any time while paused. Map pins are available from the start. The visuals use cel-shaded 3D models styled after pixel art.
Core features at a glance
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release date | October 15, 2026 |
| Platforms | Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC (Windows) |
| Play Anywhere | One purchase plays on both console and PC at no additional cost |
| Developer | KONAMI with Evil Empire and Motion Twin |
| Weapons | Seven weapon types: longsword, whip, gauntlets, spear, greatsword, sword and shield, twin swords |
| Progression systems | Tarot Arcana spells, Works of Mercy upgrades, relic slots, parry and whip grappling hook |
Confirmed and not stated
What Xbox Wire confirms: the October 15 release date, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox on PC platforms, Xbox Play Anywhere support, the developer lineup, and the gameplay systems listed above.
What the announcement does not state: price, other platforms such as PlayStation or Switch, a Steam release, and Xbox Game Pass availability.
What Play Anywhere means for buyers
Xbox Play Anywhere removes a second purchase for players who use both console and PC. One buy covers Xbox Series X|S and Xbox on PC at no additional cost. Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse was listed in GamerHeadlines’ Next Week on Xbox lineup for October 12 to 16.
