Ghost of Yotei devs visited Japan to ensure “respectful” culture portrayal

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Sucker Punch Productions returned to Japan for the production of their sequel, Ghost of Yotei, which they consider essential to upholding respect for the Ainu culture.

Ghost of Tsushima has garnered acclaim for its authentic portrayal of Japanese culture. In fact, the creators from Sucker Punch Productions were appointed as official tourism representatives for the island of Tsushima in 2021 due to the game’s popularity in Japan.

To put it simply, Ghost of Yotei carries significant weight in the gaming community, as it takes players on an adventure to the scenic, culturally rich region of Hokkaido. The developers are striving to share a fresh narrative that sensitively portrays Ainu culture, a crucial part of the area’s history and heritage.

Ghost of Yotei devs visited Japan to get culture right

In a post on the PlayStation Blog, Fox acknowledged that as an American company, they may not inherently possess the deep cultural understanding required to authentically portray feudal Japan.

To accomplish that task, we’re going to require a good deal of assistance. Luckily, we are also part of PlayStation. For Ghost of Tsushima, we were fortunate to consistently receive feedback from our colleagues in Tokyo. As you might have suspected, the same holds true for Ghost of Yotei. However, this time, we’ve expanded our team of consultants.

Later on, Fox detailed that their development crew ventured to Hokkaido, the most northern of Japan’s main islands, where Ghost of Yotei is set. From this location, they interacted with a cultural consultant and explored historical sites, which expanded Fox and his team’s understanding of the Ainu, the indigenous people inhabiting northern Japan.

In discussing the design of a game set in Hokkaido, Fox explained that it was essential to portray Ainu culture accurately and respectfully. They also benefited from visiting the Nibutani Ainu Museum and consulting with an adviser, which provided valuable insights into the types of artifacts featured in the game and their traditional uses.

In simple terms, the Co-Creative Director shared that the team ventured to the most southerly region of Hokkaido, and there they discovered information about the Matsuamae tribe, who were tasked with safeguarding the Matsumae Domain from the Ainu people.

In addition to studying the historical background of the two groups, Fox observed that special attention was given by his team in highlighting the distinct characteristics of the villages found within Hokkaido.

The developer noted that it was intriguing to observe the abundance of cherry trees on the peninsula, which had been transported from Honshu, and were rare elsewhere in the island. This, he said, illustrated just how sparsely populated Hokkaido was back in 1603 by the Wajin people.

In our game, we’ve aimed to capture a similar atmosphere by focusing on the untouched landscapes situated between settlements. Although the Hokkaido depicted here is an imaginary location, our goal is to create an authentic experience that draws inspiration from real-life encounters with such wild, undiscovered territories.

On October 2, 2025, the Ghost of Yotei will be available for the PlayStation 5. Keep an eye on our release center for updates about this exciting new game and the exclusive pre-order incentives that come with each edition!

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2025-06-19 14:19