IGN got the chance to bend Hideki Kamiya’s ear about the long-awaited Okami sequel at Lucca Comics and Games Festival 2026, where he shed some light on his creative process and addressed fans’ expectations about the upcoming title.
In December 2024 — almost 20 years after Okami was first released — fans of Clover Studio’s critically acclaimed, cult-classic game were treated to news they never could’ve expected: a proper sequel was being made, led by the game’s original director, Hideki Kamiya.
Kamiya and Clovers, his new studio comprised of former Clover staff and industry veterans, are hard at work creating Amaterasu’s next adventure. And while he can’t say much about the project just yet, he did give us a smidge more insight about what the team has been cooking up over the last two years.
It’s safe to say Kamiya is keenly aware of players’ high expectations for the Okami sequel. It’s a tear-jerkingly beautiful game that’s been marinating in fans’ hearts and minds for two decades at this point, after all. But just as he approached the first game, he is once again planning to make an experience that appeals to both seasoned players and greenhorns alike.
“I created the first chapter of Okami keeping in mind that what I wanted to do was create a gaming experience that would be satisfying to relative beginners,” he told us via a translator, referencing Okami’s “sequence of commands for attacks.”
“When I created the plane sequences for Bayonetta — or even the game, itself — I had in mind players who were a little more experienced, obviously. Now that I’m making a second chapter of Okami, I’m going back to think about the more inexperienced or relatively new players. I still want to make it enjoyable for them, too,” he explained.
Kamiya is no stranger to kickstarting new franchises or creating sequels for pre-existing properties. (He did direct Resident Evil 2, after all.) But given the amount of hype from hardcore fans for the Okami sequel, he’s urging players to temper their expectations.
“[The Okami sequel] has become a sort of mission for me, because before, when I created a new game, I had no expectation from the public, of course. It was something completely new and, in a sense, unexpected. Now that I’ve created sequels, the expectation from the public has grown quite a lot, and I feel that. It’s better if you don’t have many expectations.”
When it comes to this new project, Kamiya doesn’t feel that his creative process has necessarily changed in the last 20 years. Instead, he says that he’s gained a sixth sense of a sort, where he can tell he’s going to make a mistake before it actually happens. (Which, I must admit, sounds like an especially useful skill to have.)
“As far as I can see, nothing has changed,” he mused when asked about how his process has evolved over the years. “The only thing I think is that, since I’ve made so many mistakes during my career, now, when I feel like I’m approaching a mistake, I can feel it beforehand. That’s the difference from then and now.”
Perhaps unsurprisingly, he couldn’t say much more about the Okami sequel. But what we did learn is that, just like its predecessor, this game will be accessible to newer players and seasoned gamers alike, appealing to both demographics just as the first one did.
For more Okami sequel news, you can check out IGN’s interview from early 2025 when we flew to Japan to chat with Kamiya, Kiyohiko Sakata, and Yoshiaki Hirabayashi, who told us that the next Okami game is a direct continuation from the first and not a side-story like Okamiden was.
Virginia (she/her) is IGN’s News Editor. With ten years of experience reporting on games and entertainment, she’s got a storied background in the fighting game community, influencer news, and viral online trends. Find her on Twitter at @TheeMissGlaze.
Michael is Global Head of Partnerships at IGNE, where he leads all 3rd party partnerships across games and entertainment studios, including for tentpole events lilke IGN Live, San Diego Comic Con, gamescom, and IGN Fan Fest. He’s spent 20 years working in the games and entertainment industry, and his adventures have taken him everywhere from the Oscars to Japan to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Follow him on Bluesky @MichaelPeyton
