The big bads of Sega’s Sonic the Hedgehog, Golden Axe, and Yakuza franchises are coming to Shinobi: Art of Vengeance in April, developer Lizardcube and publisher Sega announced Wednesday. The 2D ninja-action game’s Sega Villains Stage DLC arrives on April 3, for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X versions of the game.
A new trailer for Shinobi: Art of Vengeance‘s downloadable boss content shows the trio of villains in action: Dr. Robotnik (aka Eggman) and Joe Musashi battling in Green Hill Zone; Goro Majima going wild on the rainy, nighttime streets of Kamurochō; and Death Adder towering over his ninja rival on a throne room stage from Golden Axe.
The Sega Villains Stage DLC will include the following content when it arrives next month:
- Three new bosses
- Five new stages
- Two new Boss Rush modes
- Three new ninpo
- Three new outfits
- Six new music tracks
The DLC is included as part of the Digital Deluxe Edition of Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, which costs $39.99. The add-on can be purchased separately for $9.99, and owners of the standard edition of the game can upgrade to the Digital Deluxe Edition for $11.99.
Also coming on April 3 is a free update for Shinobi: Art of Vengeance that adds a new Hardcore Mode, combat system adjustments, and updates to character outlines, map and tutorial display features, Sega says.
Shinobi: Art of Vengeance was one of our favorite games of 2025. “Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is a delightful action platformer that splits the difference between old-school action and modern Metroid-inspired exploration game,” we said in our review. “Lizardcube’s revival of the Shinobi series looks and sounds spectacular, and it plays great too. It only raises a natural question: Which Sega franchise should the studio rescue next?”
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