Konami entrusts dormant Castlevania franchise to French studio
Konami is reviving its dormant Castlevania franchise through a French developer, a move that underscores the growing commercial ties and cultural cross-pollination between Europe and Japan's gaming industries.
Konami will launch Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse in October, marking the franchise's first return to consoles since 2014. Rather than developing the title in-house, the Japanese publisher has handed the reins to Evil Empire, a French studio best known for its work on the hit game Dead Cells.
The partnership reflects a calculated strategy by Konami to monetize its back catalogue by outsourcing to specialist Western developers. This mirrors the publisher's approach with last year's Silent Hill f. The collaboration actually began when Evil Empire sent a cold email proposing a Castlevania expansion for Dead Cells.
A two-way cultural exchange
Handing a 40-year-old Japanese series to a European team carries creative risks, but the title's premise made the fit logical. “As Castlevania was created out of our love of European culture it just felt right to work with a French team and push those influences,” said Tsutomu Taniguchi, the game's producer at Konami.
The studio's task was to balance nostalgia with modern market expectations. “It was a long journey to find the right balance between familiarity and innovation,” said Bérenger Dupré, marketing director at Evil Empire. The team integrated modern progression systems, allowing players to earn XP to boost their stats before retrying difficult boss fights, making the game more accessible than harder "soulslike" titles.
The game itself is set in 1499 Paris and follows Rose, the daughter of Trevor Belmont. In a notable creative choice, the developers made Joan of Arc a boss character. Emmanuel Nouaille, creative director at Evil Empire, noted the French team initially proposed the idea out of national pride, but Konami fully embraced it.
“They turned Joan of Arc – a saint in France – into this badass shonen warrior,” Nouaille said. “It’s something we wouldn’t dare try as French people, but in Japan … she’s just a character, so [they] went nuts!” He found the Japanese team's willingness to reframe a national saint unexpectedly amusing.
By leveraging European talent to modernize a classic Japanese property, Konami is testing a new model for legacy IP management. The "metroidvania" genre now commands millions of players globally. If Belmont’s Curse succeeds, it could signal further European involvement in the stewardship of Japan's most valuable dormant gaming franchises.
