The Legacy of Kain franchise might be one of the most beloved cult franchises in gaming (for Millennial goths with an English degree, like myself, at least). The dark fantasy action-adventure series kicked off with Blood Omen back in 1996, and followed that up with Soul Reaver in 1999, before a three-year run of Soul Reaver 2, Blood Omen 2, and Legacy of Kain: Defiance rounded off the series for a very long time in 2003. Fast-forward 21 years, and we saw the release of Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered in 2024 – reigniting dormant fans everywhere and bringing the esteemed series back into the spotlight.
Today, during PlayStation’s State of Play presentation, Crystal Dynamics announced that we’re getting two more releases in the LoK series – and very soon.
First up is Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered, which will debut on 3rd March, 2026. It launches for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, is developed by Crystal Dynamics and PlayEveryWare, and you get bonus skins for the two main characters (Kain and Raziel) based on the original ‘Shifter’ game concept if you pre-order before launch.
Per a press release: “Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered modernizes the iconic 2003 action-adventure game with new graphic upgrades, modernized controls, and extensive bonus content.” Highlights of the remaster include upgrading the game to proper HD, a new camera, upgraded character models, textures, and environments, and the ability to switch between classic and modern presentation on the fly (as was present in Soul Reaver 1 + 2 Reamastered).
You can opt for the original fixed camera, or a new third-person camera built for modern platforms. There is also a slew of additions including a photo mode, alternate character skins, a comprehensive lore reader, unreleased content and ‘lost levels’ from the original game. Again, anyone who tried out Soul Reaver 1 + 2 Remastered will know what to expect here.
But the other game, now that‘s something wholly new. Also announced at the show was Legacy of Kain: Ascendance, a “fast-paced 2D action platformer published by Crystal Dynamics and developed by Bit Bot Media in association with FreakZone Games (A Bit Bot Company) that introduces a brand-new gameplay style to the franchise, and features original voice actors reprising their iconic roles”. That means we’re getting Simon Templeman as Kain, Michael Bell as Raziel, Anne Gunn as Ariel and Richard Doyle as Moebius.
The project looks like quite a weird one. Per a presentation I saw with Crystal Dynamics before the State of Play, the folks at Crystal Dynamics are calling Ascendance a ‘prequel’, even though you will be hopping all over the Nosgoth timeline thanks to our old pal, Moebius. It’s also got various art styles; 3D sections are inspired by the PS1-era appear at key narrative points, (which “offer story-driven interaction and lore-heavy sequences”, per the PR), whilst other major plot points are support by anime-inspired sequences. Meanwhile the game itself is a 2D action platformer, I suppose easily related to other modern-retro franchise revivals like Shinobi: Vengeance or Ninja Gaiden Ragebound.
Legacy of Kain: Ascendance arrives on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store on 31st March, 2026. The jury is still out for me on this one, but I’m not going to turn my nose up at anything Legacy of Kain in the year of 2026: I’m very pleased we’re getting anything at all, and Crystal Dyanmics assures me “there’s more to come”.
