Does Rise of the Ronin have early access? Answered

With Rise of the Ronin the next big action RPG from Ninja Gaiden and Nioh developer Team Ninja, fans of the studio are eager to play it as soon as possible, which means some are wondering if there will be an early access period.

Rise of the Ronin may not technically be a first-party Sony game, but it is one of the few PlayStation 5 exclusives out in 2024, set to launch on March 22—the same day as Dragon’s Dogma 2 and Princess Peach: Showtime! As a new IP, an early access period could help Rise of the Ronin gain traction among those who aren’t already sold on its premise and gameplay.

Rise of the Ronin: is there an early access period?

No, Sony and Team Ninja are not offering an early access period or early access launch for Rise of the Ronin. So, if you want to play it, you have no choice but to wait until its official release. Although, if you pre-order the game digitally, you’ll be able to preload Rise of the Ronin, allowing you to start playing the moment it launches.

While there’s no early access for the full game, pre-orders do net you early access to some of Rise of the Ronin‘s content; specifically:

• Four Combat Styles, including:
  • Hayabusa-ryu for Katana
  • Hayabusa-ryu for Naginata
  • Nioh-ryu for Katana
  • Aisu Kage-ryu for Katana
• Iga Ninja’s Katana
• Iga Ninja’s Armor set

Considering Rise of the Ronin‘s PlayStation Store listing describes these things as early access content, this suggests these aren’t pre-order exclusives and can be obtained in-game regardless. Pre-ordering just means you’ll unlock them much earlier than usual.

Set in 19th century Japan, Rise of the Ronin sees you take control of your own customizable ronin protagonist as you visit historic locations and fight enemies with a multitude of combat styles and weapons. While you can experience the adventure solo, Rise of the Ronin also offers a co-op multiplayer option in case you ever want to play with friends.