The time to enter the legally distinct Dracula’s castle is here once more, asBloodstained: The Scarlet Engagementwas revealed during the June 2025Sony State of Playevent, with two protagonists taking on the starring role.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Nightwas aKickstarter success story,with Shutaro Ida given the chance to make a newCastlevaniagame in all but name. Luckily, the over $5 million USD brought in by fans was put to good use, as Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night was a fantastic Metroidvania.
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Fans have known for a while that a Bloodstained sequel was in the works, as itwas revealed back in 2021during an investors' meeting. The game was finally announced during the June 2025 Sony State of Play event, seen on the official PlayStation YouTube channel, and it’s going back to the past.
Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement Features Two Protagonists
Set over a century before the events of the first game, Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement follows Leonard and Alexander, two warriors who must put aside their differences and lay siege to the Ethereal Castle, where monsters and demons reside and are threatening to destroy the land.
It seems that Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement is following in the steps of Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin,as the trailer showsthe player controlling two characters at once, and being able to switch between them with the push of a button.
Like all good Metroidvanias, Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement is all about exploring a massive open area, finding items, and slaying enemies as they go. There will likely be plenty of puzzles that require both characters to solve.
Unfortunately, fans will be waiting a while to explore the Ethereal Castle, as Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement won’t be launching until 2026. Until then, fans must gorge themselves on the countless indie Metroidvanias in the world.
