Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse launches on 15 October 2026, bringing a new Belmont-led adventure to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC and the original Nintendo Switch. Konami has confirmed the date and platforms on its official game website, making this one of the more significant action releases of the week.

The story moves to Paris in 1499, 23 years after Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse. Rose Belmont, daughter of Trevor Belmont, must explore a city overrun by monsters and unravel a conspiracy connected to Dracula’s castle. The game is a 2D action-exploration adventure developed by Konami and Evil Empire, with advisory support from Motion Twin.

The whip does more than attack

Konami says Rose’s legendary Vampire Killer whip can be used for acrobatic movement as well as combat. That gives platforming a more active role alongside the familiar combination of exploration, hidden paths and monsters. The developer has also described seven weapon categories and relics that allow different fighting styles.

Bosses are tied to the new Arcana system. Once defeated, major enemies can be sealed into tarot cards, giving Rose additional abilities and special actions. Konami highlights returning figures such as Death, Medusa and Carmilla, alongside other surprises. None of this means we have tested the game’s balance or map design: these are features documented by the publisher.

Can you try it before buying?

Yes. Konami released a free playable demo on 1 October for PS5, Switch, Xbox Series and Steam. The demo covers the beginning of the adventure, and progress can transfer into the full game when using the same platform and account, provided you retain the save data and update the full game. This is useful if you are undecided about the feel of the movement or the combat.

Switch edition and performance details

Be careful not to confuse the original Nintendo Switch with Switch 2. Konami’s product information identifies the Switch version and lists 30fps for that edition, compared with 60fps for the other listed platforms. It also lists a minimum download capacity of about 4 GB for the Switch standard edition and 8 GB for the standard edition elsewhere. Actual downloads and patches may change those figures.

Nintendo Switch 2 owners should verify how the original Switch edition works on their system instead of assuming that Konami is selling a native Switch 2 version. The publisher’s current platform list is the place to check before paying.

Midnight Edition and South African pricing

Konami is offering a Standard Edition and a Midnight Edition. The latter includes a digital sound-and-art gallery, extra outfits and an in-game relic. Early-purchase offers may also include an Alucard-style outfit; terms and retailer availability can differ by region. That makes it worth comparing editions rather than buying whichever storefront option appears first.

A confirmed South African rand price was not established from the publisher information checked for this article, so we are not converting a foreign price into a misleading local quote. Check the relevant South African digital storefront for the actual price, edition availability and launch status.

For longtime fans, the key attraction is a return to 2D exploration with a new lead rather than a simple remake. For newcomers, the carry-over demo gives an unusually useful way to test whether this style of action game clicks before spending money. We’ll reserve a quality verdict until there has been hands-on play.

Featured image: Midnight Black PS5 controller, a hardware photograph rather than Castlevania footage. Chris Woodrich / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Sources

• Konami: official game page and platforms
• Konami: demo and save-transfer rules
• Konami: editions and launch date