Castlevania Returns in October 2026 With 2D Reboot by Evil Empire

Q: With Castlevania revived, could Metal Gear or Silent Hill be the next franchises to return from the dead?

Silent Hill is not merely next in line; it is already well into a full-scale comeback, while Metal Gear is being revived more cautiously through remasters and a major remake rather than a clearly defined new-era relaunch. Konami’s handling of Castlevania offers a useful template. With “Belmont’s Curse,” the company paired the brand with Evil Empire, a studio steeped in the metroidvania genre, and built a project that mixes legacy elements with modern design. That same strategy is already visible in Silent Hill. The series has returned with the successful “Silent Hill 2” remake in 2024, “Silent Hill f” in 2025, and “Silent Hill: Townfall” due in September 2026. Konami has also confirmed a remake of the original 1999 “Silent Hill.” By any practical measure, Silent Hill has already returned from the dead. Metal Gear is a different case. Konami has brought the series back to market with “Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1,” and a second collection is scheduled for August 2026. More significantly, “Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater” is in development, showing that Konami still sees major value in the franchise. But the available evidence points more to preservation and remake-driven revival than to a broad creative reboot on the scale now visible with Castlevania or Silent Hill. So if the question is which franchise is next, Silent Hill already is. Metal Gear appears to be returning too, but more carefully and with less clarity about a full new chapter.

3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 17

October marks Castlevania’s first new game since 2014, with Belmont’s Curse bringing Konami’s series back to consoles as a 2D side-scroller.
23 years after Castlevania 3, the game follows Rose Belmont through 1499 Paris, where Konami and Dead Cells studio Evil Empire reset the series after its 3D era.
Evil Empire’s influence shows in a reworked whip, XP-based progression and boss powers turned into tarot-card arcana, making repeated deaths less punishing than many metroidvanias or Soulslikes.
1499 Paris also gives the revival a fresh hook, mixing series staples like Medusa and Death with a boss version of Joan of Arc and puzzle-led exploration beyond the opening area.
Konami said the partnership grew out of Evil Empire’s outreach about a Dead Cells Castlevania DLC, part of the publisher’s broader use of outside studios to revive dormant franchises.