CyberConnect2’sNaruto: Ultimate Ninja Stormseries is one of the poster boys for anime arena fighters. While there have been a lot of other licensed 3D fighting games over the years, most notably fromDragon Ball, theNaruto: Ultimate Ninja Stormgames were some of the most consistent during their lifespan. Thanks to their excellent cinematic story modes and top quality animation, theUltimate Ninja Stormseries quickly amassed a large casual fan base. A small but dedicated competitive scene also formed, with advanced strategies developing around Jutsus, movement, and team mechanics.
It was a humble series in the grand scope of fighting games, but is still looked back fondly on as one of the best ways to experience the story ofNarutoandNaruto Shippuden. CyberConnect2 has since moved on to several other projects includingDragon Ball Z: Kakarot, its newFuga: Melodies of Steelseries, and the similar arena fighterDemon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — The Hinokami Chronicles. Now thatJoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle Ris out, CC2 once again seems between projects. However, if a trusted anime YouTuber and leaker is to be believed, a new title succeedingNaruto: Ultimate Ninja Stormis on the horizon.
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The Existence of Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm 5 Is Very Likely
The YouTuber Senju in Japan has made a name for himself as a highly trusted source of CyberConnect2 information. Senju has made accurate predictions of not only what theDLC characters coming to theDemon Slayergamewere, but of mechanics exclusive to certain DLC demons that hadn’t existed in the base game. It seems that Senju has sources inside CyberConnect2, so his reports hold a lot of weight in the anime game community. This made his YouTube and Twitter proclamations in April 2022 sent shockwaves through theNarutofandom.
It seems that CyberConnect2 has a newNarutotitle in development that is, functionally,Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm 5. Senju claims that it probably won’t be calledStorm 5, thus making a statement CC2’s CEO Hiroshi Matsuyama made about theStormgames being finished accurate. Still, that may just meanit’s focused onBorutoinstead. The game has supposedly been in development for over a year, and its announcement could come as early as the end of 2022. However, due to various development reasons, when the game will be announced is still uncertain.
What Ultimate Ninja Storm 5 May Be Like
One of those reasons is something big that Senju has refused to elaborate on. Apparently, a major feature of some kind has caused development delays in thisUltimate Ninja Stormsuccessor. There are a few likely culprits for this, and unfortunately a netcode overhaul is not one of them. A character creator likethe one inNaruto to Boruto: Shinobi Strikercould make its way into this title. The somewhat modular character abilities employed byNinja Stormshould make it possible to fully craft the moveset of a custom avatar. Alternatively, CyberConnect2 could be going theDragon Ball Z: Kakarotroute and include a full open world. Most of theUltimate Ninja Stormgames have had free roam modes, and this would be an evolution of that.
The one hint Senju in Japan has given that implies this newNarutogame will be constructed with theUltimate Ninja Stormformula is a tweet in regard to its roster. Supposedly, this game will havethe largestNaruto: UltimateNinja Stormroster yet, which means that a lot of its characters will be inherited from past games. That also implies that old design and animations are coming back as well, which isn’t the combat refresh some fans want. It remains to be seen whether battle mechanics will remain on par with past games, but the rest of the game should be a fanservice-filled spectacle like always. Senju in Japan may not know when the nextNaruto: Ultimate Ninja Stormgame will be announced, but chances are it will be happening in the foreseeable future.
