Nioh 3 is getting even nastier. KOEI TECMO and Team NINJA have launched Hell Rising, the first DLC for the dark samurai action RPG, on PS5 and PC via Steam.
The expansion throws players back into the Crucible with a new era to explore, fresh weapons, tougher battles and even more ways to fine-tune character builds. Meanwhile, the second Nioh 3 DLC, Bloody Insurrection, is already in development, with more details promised soon.
Hell Rising takes Nioh 3 to the Keian era
In Hell Rising, players travel to the Keian era and discover Edo in crisis following the death of future shogun Takechiyo.
Along the way, players join forces with one-eyed swordsman Yagyu Jubei and Spanish envoy Rodrigo. Together, they investigate a growing mystery surrounding the Spirit Stones.
The Keian era also introduces a new open-field map. As per the press release, the region has been transformed into a hellish wasteland by the gales of the Crucible. Yokai, human rebels and alchemists from foreign lands are all roaming around, so expect the sightseeing to get violent pretty quickly.
New weapons, Picture Scrolls and an extreme difficulty mode
Hell Rising adds the Hoko and Shield for both Samurai and Ninja Styles. The weapon combination mixes the offence of a short spear with the protection of a shield.
It also opens up some more tactical options. Yes, that includes flinging your shield at enemies, because apparently simply blocking with it wasn’t aggressive enough.
Players looking for another layer of challenge can also tackle the new Hundred Demon Realms Picture Scroll system.
Enemies can occasionally drop Picture Scrolls as rare loot. Each scroll comes with an automatically generated battle that must be completed before the item can be equipped.
Those battles can then be replayed. Doing so lets players randomly alter one of the scroll’s special effects while strengthening and customising it further.
For anyone who has somehow decided Nioh 3 still isn’t painful enough, Hell Rising also introduces the Enlightened One’s Journey.
This new difficulty is designed for a third playthrough. Certain enemies can randomly receive a Curse buff, making them considerably stronger. Defeat them, however, and they can reward players with divine-rarity items.
Divine-rarity Grace set bonuses and powerful special effects also give players more options for refining their builds.
On top of that, the DLC adds new Guardian Spirits, Martial Arts, Skills, Ninjutsu and Onmyo Magic. In other words, there should be plenty of new ways to build something horrifyingly effective before the game inevitably finds another way to flatten you.
Nioh 3 is available now on PS5 and PC
For anyone yet to jump in, Nioh 3 launched in February 2026 and follows Tokugawa Takechiyo across several eras of Japanese history.
A free demo is also available on PS5 and PC via Steam, with solo play and online multiplayer for up to three players. Save data from the demo can carry over into the full game.
Nioh 3: Hell Rising is available now worldwide for PlayStation 5 and Windows PC via Steam.