A Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game, based on The Last Ronin series of graphic novels, is reportedly in development. In an interview with Polygon, Doug Rosen, senior VP for games and emerging media at Paramount Global, promised that the upcoming third-person, single-player action game will be similar in vein to Sony PlayStation’s recent God of War titles. The AAA title will be aimed at mature audiences, just like the comic book run, and is a “few years off” from release, currently in development by an unnamed studio. There is no word on a platform either, but we can safely assume it will be out on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series S/X.
For the uninitiated, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin was a five-issue miniseries that was set in a bleak, futuristic battle-ravaged New York, where three of the four Ninja Turtles have been killed. The lone survivor then embarks on a seemingly hopeless mission to seek vengeance for his lost family, donning a black mask and wielding the weapons of the fallen — dual katanas, sai, nunchaku, and bo staff. The Turtle’s identity is kept a secret until the final pages of issue no. 1, as he goes up against Shredder’s grandson. Just like the graphic novel, the upcoming video game will play out with him as the central and only character, albeit his brothers could be playable in flashback sequences. Since the titular Ronin carries his brothers’ armaments, we can expect the game to let us swap between them whenever.
Rosen hasn’t mentioned a developer name either but believes he has found the “right partner” for The Last Ronin’s video game adaptation, maintaining AAA quality. He also suggested that there are opportunities for several TMNT games, aimed at both younger and older audiences. The game franchise has seen a resurgence lately, thanks to the acclaimed beat ‘em up TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge, where you could team up with six other players to best the Foot Clan, Triceraton Warriors, and more. A collection of retro Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games, called The Cowabunga Collection, was also released last year, igniting some nostalgia for long-time fans.
Meanwhile, the pizza-loving, crime-fighting turtles are all set to appear in a new animated movie — Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. Directed by Jeff Rowe (Disenchantment), the film features stylised art and animation that plays around with framerates akin to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, charting the four lead Ninja Turtles’ lives as they set out onto the surface to win the hearts of New Yorkers. While the Turtles themselves are voiced by teenage actors, the supporting cast is loaded with big names such as Jackie Chan (Rush Hour), Seth Rogen (Superbad), Ayo Edebiri (The Bear), Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad), Maya Rudolph (Licorice Pizza), and more.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin is still in early development and will likely release on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series S/X. Rosen has promised further information in the “coming months and years.”