Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse is out. The first all-new entry in 12 years hit 17,896 concurrent Steam players, reviews are Mixed

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Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse, an all-new entry in the Castlevania series, released on October 15, 2026. It is out on PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox PC and Steam, and on Steam the Standard Edition costs 3,850 yen (about US$25, converted at 153 yen to the dollar) while the Midnight Edition costs 4,950 yen (about US$32), both tax included.

The setting is Paris in 1499. The story picks up 23 years after Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse, and the protagonist is Rose Belmont, daughter of Trevor Belmont. Evil Empire developed it and KONAMI published it, making this the first all-new entry in 12 years and a landmark for the series’ 40th anniversary.

Steam concurrents hit 17,896 on launch day, the highest in series history, while user reviews on Steam are sitting at Mixed. This article runs through what the game is, how the editions differ, and why opinion has split.

First, let’s pin down what kind of game this is.

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What is Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse? A 2D exploration-action game set in 1499 Paris

Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse is a new game that KONAMI’s official site describes as a “2D action exploration game.” The year is 1499 and the place is Paris. In a world 23 years on from Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse, Rose, daughter of the legendary hero Trevor Belmont, fights the monsters pouring out of a dark castle while chasing a conspiracy buried in the city.

Rose wields the whip handed down from her father, the Vampire Killer. Alongside combat built around how that whip feels to swing, the hooks are the Arcana system, in which bosses you defeat turn into tarot cards that grant special abilities, and combat customization through weapons and relics. KONAMI positions it as a “new Castlevania” that rebuilds the series’ gothic world.

The game was announced on February 13, 2026, and has been treated as the centerpiece of the series’ 40th anniversary, counting from 1986 to 2026. The Steam store page lists a release date of October 14, but that is US time; in Japan it launched on October 15.

How do the editions differ? 3,850 yen on Steam versus 4,950 yen for the Midnight Edition

On Steam the Standard Edition is 3,850 yen and the Midnight Edition is 4,950 yen, tax included. On top of the base game, the Midnight Edition bundles a digital art gallery holding more than 100 pieces, a soundtrack player, two costumes and one in-game relic.

The gap is 1,100 yen (about US$7). That is a reasonable ask for anyone who wants to look at the art and hear the soundtrack inside the game, and the relic has practical value because it feeds into combat. Boxed console prices vary by retailer, so the only figures listed here are the Steam prices shown in the official store.

How did launch day go? A series-record 17,896 concurrents on Steam, and Mixed reviews

Steam concurrents reached 17,896 on launch day, a record for the series. Steam user reviews, on the other hand, stand at “Mixed” as of October 16, 2026, with 62% of 1,467 reviews positive. When GameSpark wrote up the numbers it was 59% of 670, so the positive rate has crept up slightly as more reviews land.

The Metascore paints a different picture. On Metacritic the PS5 version holds an 85 across 54 reviews, which is a strong critical showing. This is the textbook version of a temperature gap between players and critics.

A series-record concurrent count means this many people still react to the Castlevania name. Reviews may be split, but the fact that it is being played in the first place counts for something.

Why is opinion split? Bugs on high refresh rate setups, and a lean toward punishing difficulty

According to GameSpark’s roundup, the positive camp values the simple fact that a new series entry exists, plus how lightly it runs even on limited PC specs. The negative camp raises three things: bugs on high refresh rate setups, a balance that leans toward punishing deaths, and the sheer volume of gimmicks built around whip actions.

Sorted out, the fault line between praise and criticism is not “is the game well made” but “does this style of play suit you” and “does it behave on your hardware.” The high refresh rate problem is the kind of thing a patch fixes, and once it is cleared up the review ratio should move. Difficulty and whip gimmicks are design direction, so that split between players it clicks with and players it does not will stay exactly where it is.

Personally, I think leaning on gimmicks that have you swinging a whip around is the right direction for a Castlevania game. But anyone who was not asking for punishing tuning could regret buying on the Belmont name alone. Read the reviews, then decide. That is the correct play here.

In summary: Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse is out October 15, at 3,850 yen on Steam

Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse released on October 15, 2026. It is available on PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox PC and Steam. On Steam the Standard Edition is 3,850 yen and the Midnight Edition is 4,950 yen, tax included. It is set in Paris in 1499, the protagonist is Rose, daughter of Trevor Belmont, Evil Empire developed it and KONAMI published it. Launch-day Steam concurrents hit a series-record 17,896, user reviews are Mixed with 62% of 1,467 positive, and the PS5 version sits at 85 on Metacritic.

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