Castlevania: Belmont's Curse isn't a roguelike, says Konami, despite it being made by the 2 studios behind Dead Cells

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The two developers behind Dead Cells are making the next Castlevania, so of course it's going to be a roguelike, right? Actually, no. Despite Motion Twin and Evil Empire's pedigree, Castlevania: Belmont's Curse is going to be a bit more traditional in that it's a 2D action-exploration romp without roguelike mechanics.

This was confirmed by Konami itself, speaking to The Verge earlier this week.

"Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse is a 2D Action-Exploration game where players can freely explore vast, elaborately crafted maps," Tommy Williams, Konami’s head of communications for the Americas, said. "It is not a roguelike or roguelite game."

Though a surprise, you could argue that Evil Empire—the primary developer, while Motion Twin is credited with an advisory role—has already made its roguelike Castlevania. In 2023, it released Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania, featuring a level inspired by Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, along with characters, weapons and enemies from the venerable series.

This isn't to say that Evil Empire and Motion Twin aren't shaking things up a bit. There's the lavish, 2.5D art style, for one, and Belmont seems a bit more acrobatic than their predecessors and descendants. Their whip, the Vampire Killer, no longer just exists to murder vamps and break candles—now it's used to leap around the levels, latching onto parts of the environment and even enemies to hurl the vampire slayer all over the place.

Fraser is the UK online editor and has actually met The Internet in person. With over a decade of experience, he's been around the block a few times, serving as a freelancer, news editor and prolific reviewer. Strategy games have been a 30-year-long obsession, from tiny RTSs to sprawling political sims, and he never turns down the chance to rave about Total War or Crusader Kings. He's also been known to set up shop in the latest MMO and likes to wind down with an endlessly deep, systemic RPG. These days, when he's not editing, he can usually be found writing features that are 1,000 words too long or talking about his dog.

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