Konami producer Tsutomu Taniguchi and Evil Empire representatives Bérenger Dupré and Sandro Bordier discussed how the studios collaborated on Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse, a new entry built by the Dead Cells studio in partnership with Konami and set to release on October 15, as reported by PCGamesN.
Here’s the context: Evil Empire was originally set up as the guardian studio for Dead Cells under Motion Twin. Dupré described that relationship continuing in a similar oversight capacity during Belmont’s Curse’s development: the team shows Motion Twin its progress and waits for approval before moving forward. Konami, meanwhile, gave Evil Empire substantial creative trust and worked closely with the team on the project.
Bordier said the team drew reference points from across the Castlevania catalog rather than leaning on a single game. Symphony of the Night was a natural touchstone as one of the series’ landmark entries, while the team also looked to Super Castlevania 4‘s omnidirectional brandish-whip technique for a modernized traversal system designed for smoother movement around the map. Aria of Sorrow and Circle of the Moon helped shape the spell and tarot mechanics tied to protagonist Rose. Bordier said the team selected elements from the franchise based on the time frame it had chosen, with Belmont’s Curse following Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse and Curse of Darkness.
The studios’ collaboration centered on balancing Castlevania’s established identity with new ideas. Dupré said Evil Empire’s early suggestions were cautious before the team began pitching more ambitious concepts, which Konami supported. Taniguchi said the priority was preserving the core elements that make Castlevania recognizably Castlevania while making the gameplay more fun and exciting. He said the two teams deliberated extensively to find that balance.
- Legacy reference – Symphony of the Night and other series entries informed the overall design approach
- Movement reference – Super Castlevania 4’s omnidirectional whip technique, modernized for smoother traversal
- System reference – Aria of Sorrow and Circle of the Moon helped shape the spell and tarot mechanics built around Rose
- Collaboration principle – preserve the franchise’s core identity while pushing gameplay to feel more exciting
What remains unclear is whether this will lead to more Castlevania games. Taniguchi said he hoped that, if Belmont’s Curse succeeds, more entries could follow. The discussion did not establish details about platforms, pricing, or the game’s specific setting.
What to watch: Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse is scheduled to release on October 15. Its modernized whip movement and tarot-driven spell systems reflect the series references identified by Bordier, while the collaboration between Konami and Evil Empire is intended to balance those touchstones with a new story and new gameplay ideas.
