Capcom has put a PS5 demo for Onimusha: Way of the Sword into players’ hands today and set the full game for release on September 25, 2026. The onimusha demo gives a first look at the early story and combat, while pre-orders are now open on PlayStation Store.

For players searching now, the appeal is simple: they can try roughly 30 minutes of the opening stretch, step into the Kiyomizu-dera Temple stage and take on Sasaki Ganryu before the game arrives next year. The demo also lets Miyamoto Musashi test out key systems that define the new title in the series, including Parry, Deflect, Issen, Oni Armament and absorbing souls.

The setup places the action in Kyoto during the early Edo period, where Musashi, empowered by the Oni, fights the bizarre Genma that roam the historic city. A separate trailer has also pointed to Mount Oe in Kyoto, with Shuten Doji using it as a stronghold, but the demo stays focused on the opening fight and a narrow slice of the adventure.

There is, though, one catch that keeps the demo from being a full preview of the launch game: progress made now will not carry over to the release version. Players who do clear the demo will still get something out of it later, since save data unlocks the Charm: Kubi Akari in the full game, while pre-orders come with the Charm: Lion Dog and the Sword Appearance: Sealed Curse.

That makes today less about long-term progression than about giving Musashi his first public test run ahead of the September launch. The next firm date is clear enough: Onimusha: Way of the Sword lands on PS5 on September 25, 2026.