Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse, the return of a legacy in the hands of those who already understand it

The new chapter of the historic Konami saga will arrive on October 15, 2026, right in the year when Castlevania celebrates its first forty years of history. This is not just a matter of timing: Konami chose this anniversary to bring the brand back to the center of the stage with a completely new project, entrusting it to a studio that, even before being given the keys to Dracula’s castle, had already shown that it knew very well what lies inside it.

That name is Evil Empire, the French studio best known for the work done on Dead Cells. And this is exactly where Belmont’s Curse becomes particularly interesting. Because Dead Cells is not simply one of the many modern games that have inherited the Metroidvania legacy: it is a title that made the tradition of Castlevania one of its main sources of inspiration. When in 2023 Evil Empire and Motion Twin created Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania, the relationship with Konami had already become much more than a simple commercial collaboration. The DLC brought together Richter Belmont, Alucard, Dracula, Maria Renard and an entire collection of weapons, enemies, settings and music from the saga, turning into what the developers themselves described as a true love letter to Castlevania.

The even more significant thing is that Return to Castlevania did not just add a few aesthetic references. The series’ weapons were adapted to the fast combat system of Dead Cells, while 12 classic tracks, including Vampire Killer and Bloody Tears, were reinterpreted in the game’s musical style. Even the structure of the DLC stemmed from Evil Empire’s desire to confront its roots directly: the developers explained that Dead Cells had been strongly influenced by Symphony of the Night, making the collaboration with Konami a sort of return to its origins.

And it is precisely this experience that explains why Konami’s choice for Belmont’s Curse appears less risky than it might seem. According to what Konami and Evil Empire have said, the shift from DLC to a completely new game grew gradually out of the collaboration between the two parties: the initial idea was to create a tribute to Castlevania, but the trust built during the development of Return to Castlevania led the project to become something much more ambitious. Konami pointed specifically to Evil Empire’s passion for the series and its experience in action games as the main reasons for the choice.

The result therefore aims to be an authentic Castlevania, but not a simple nostalgia exercise. Belmont’s Curse is set in 1499, in Paris, 23 years after the events of Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse, and for the first time places Rose Belmont, daughter of Trevor Belmont, at the center of the story. The protagonist takes up the legacy of her family and finds herself fighting through the streets of a Paris devastated by the creatures of the night, until she reaches Dracula’s castle.

It is a premise that allows Evil Empire to look at both the past and the future of the series at the same time. On one hand, we find continuity with Castlevania III; on the other, a completely new character and a setting that gives the saga a different image from the traditional gothic castle. Paris thus becomes an integral part of the exploration, with references to real places and architecture, while the Vampire Killer whip takes on a more layered role: not just an offensive weapon, but also a tool for crossing the environment, swinging, reaching hidden areas, and discovering new paths.

It is probably here that the experience gained with Dead Cells could make the biggest difference. The goal does not seem to be to mechanically recreate a past Castlevania, but to ask what it means today to make a 2D action game belonging to this saga. Smoother movement, more dynamic combat, greater freedom in the use of the Vampire Killer, and a structure built around exploration represent the attempt to modernize the formula without distorting it. Konami has in fact insisted on the desire to preserve the essence of the series while introducing new elements at the same time.

Visually as well, the project seems to move along a very interesting line. The identity of Castlevania remains deeply gothic, but Belmont’s Curse uses a more modern art direction, with richly detailed settings and a more cinematic presentation of the action. In this sense, a curious connection also emerges with the Netflix animated series: the game is not narratively connected to the television production, but its visual and cinematic language also looks to that modern reinterpretation of the franchise. Some sequences and directorial choices in fact recall the anime’s approach, creating a sort of particularly interesting reverse path: for once, it is the video game that can draw something from the television adaptation of one of its own series.

The connection with Netflix becomes even more evident when looking at the voice cast. Graham McTavish returns to portray Dracula, after voicing the Lord of Darkness in the animated series, while Alejandra Reynoso reprises the role of Sypha Belnades. They are joined by JB Blanc as Trevor Belmont and, in another surprising trip down memory lane, Liam O’Brien once again as Isaac, a character he played in Castlevania: Curse of Darkness more than twenty years ago.

So it is not merely a nostalgic operation: it is almost a snapshot of the entire modern history of Castlevania. There are the classic video games, the influence of Symphony of the Night and contemporary Metroidvanias, the experience Evil Empire gained with Dead Cells, the direct precedent of Return to Castlevania, the Netflix series and even the return of a voice actor tied to a chapter forgotten by many fans. All elements that converge into a single project.

And in this sense the fortieth anniversary takes on special significance. Konami did not present Belmont’s Curse as just another new installment, but as the first building block of a new phase for the series. The official message from the production team explicitly speaks of the beginning of “numerous new” initiatives related to Castlevania: a statement that suggests that the return of Dracula and the Belmonts may be only the beginning of something bigger.

The timing, in short, could not be better. Forty years after the first Akumajō Dracula, Castlevania returns with a completely new game, and it does so by relying on a studio that had already proven it could turn that very legacy into something modern. Return to Castlevania had been the tribute. Belmont’s Curse is the acid test.

And if Evil Empire really manages to combine the speed and precision that made Dead Cells famous with the atmosphere, the sense of exploration, and the identity that built the myth of Castlevania, then the fortieth anniversary could turn from a simple celebration of the past into the beginning of a new era for the saga.