The Ninja Turtles’ Darkest Video Game Is Coming Out After All

It’s kind of remarkable that a premise as absurd as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has had the cultural staying power that it has. From their debut as an independent comic book parody of superheroes like Daredevil and Batman, to their immensely popular ‘80s animated TV series, to the kitschy live-action ‘90s films featuring actors in rubber suits, all the way through various film and TV reboots up to the present day, the TMNT have successfully changed and adapted with the times in a way that creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird could have never predicted when they drew that first sketch of a humanoid turtle holding nunchucks.

Like many other long-lived comic book characters, the Turtles have a tonal malleability that makes them perfect for reinvention. Their first adventures were dark and gritty, and their original comic book run saw the ruthless, lethal warriors suffer serious wounds and psychological scars during their quest for vengeance. The TMNT became more sanitized and appealing to children thanks to the animated series, but the comic books, especially after IDW Publishing acquired the property, have straddled the line between being serious and being dour. One of the most popular TMNT storylines in recent memory was The Last Ronin, a Dark Knight Returns-inspired dystopian future that returns the turtles to their darker roots, and now that storyline is about to leap off the page and onto consoles.

One of the most discussed reveals at this year’s Summer Games Fest was the resurgence of the TMNT: The Last Ronin video game, which received a brief teaser trailer. The game, once developed by Black Forest (the team responsible for the Destroy All Humans remake), was officially announced back in 2023 and was meant to be published by Embracer Group, only to be quietly canceled. Now The Last Ronin is back with a vengeance, having been re-developed from the ground up by PlatinumGames, the Japanese studio that gave audiences Bayonetta and the cult-classic Vanquish.

The Turtles are certainly no strangers to gaming. Their original 1989 arcade cabinet classic is widely considered one of the best games of the era, and in the last few years, they've had Shredder’s Revenge, a throwback to classic beat-em-ups, and Tactical Takedown, an indie strategy game that represents a major departure for the franchise. It seems safe to assume that The Last Ronin will be an action-adventure game, probably of a hack-and-slash style similar to PlatinumGames’ other work, but the setting of the dystopian graphic novel gives the developer room to craft a grimy, totalitarian version of New York City.

Unlike previous TMNT games, The Last Ronin sees Michelangelo as the last Turtle standing, which means it will lack the group’s brotherly camaraderie, but will allow PlatinumGames to focus on developing Mikey’s combat style to incorporate his fallen brothers' techniques. The grimdark storyline’s popularity is further proof of how flexible the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles remain to this day, and hopefully, the upcoming game can replicate what works about the story not just as a tragic timeline for the brothers, but as a celebration of the franchise’s perpetual pop culture success.

The Last Ronin does not yet have a release date.