Castlevania: Belmont's Curse FAQ: 15 Things to Know Before Launch

Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse — Konami’s new 2D metroidvania from Dead Cells studio Evil Empire — arrives Thursday, October 15, 2026, and the pre-launch record is already full of half-truths: roguelite rumors, console confusion, and a 1991 Game Boy game polluting every search result. This FAQ answers the fifteen questions buyers actually ask, using only confirmed information, and marks every unknown as unannounced rather than papering over it. The quick facts first:

Question	Answer
Release date	Thursday, October 15, 2026
Platforms	PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC (Steam)
Price	$29.99 / €29.99 standard; $39.99 Midnight Edition
Developer / publisher	Evil Empire / Konami
Genre	2D metroidvania (story-driven, not a roguelite)
Protagonist	Rose Belmont, daughter of Trevor Belmont
Setting	1499 Paris and Dracula’s Castle

The game itself

1. Is Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse a roguelite like Dead Cells?

No. The Dead Cells lineage confuses people — Evil Empire led Dead Cells’ post-launch evolution, and Motion Twin (the original studio) is advising here — but Belmont’s Curse is a structured, story-driven metroidvania. You explore a non-linear map spanning Dracula’s Castle and Paris, break secret walls, unlock shortcuts, and keep what you earn. Nothing shown or announced is run-based. The Dead Cells inheritance is in the feel: readable combat, visible damage numbers, distinct weapon mechanics.

2. Who do you play as — Trevor Belmont?

You play Rose Belmont, daughter of Trevor Belmont and Sypha Belnades — not Trevor himself. The game is set in 1499, 23 years after Castlevania III (1476), so Trevor’s era is backstory. Rose carries the family’s Vampire Killer whip, a tarot deck, and a curse spreading down her arm. Trevor and Sypha appear as outfits in the Midnight Edition, but alternate playable characters have not been announced.

3. What is the Arcana system?

Arcana is the core hook: every boss you defeat is sealed into a tarot card and becomes a power — a spell, a skill or a traversal ability. Two cards are confirmed: The Fallen becomes Holy Cross (an attack), and Joan of Arc becomes Holy Light (a traversal power that opens new map routes). Bosses also drop boss weapons, like Joan’s charged sword Fierbois. The full Arcana list tracks every card.

4. Where and when is the game set?

Paris, 1499, with Dracula’s Castle looming over the city — 23 years after Castlevania III and exactly 500 years before the demon-castle war of 1999 that ends the saga’s chronology. That anniversary is widely read as intentional; what the game does with it is not announced. Historical figures appear as bosses, Joan of Arc among them.

Release, platforms and pricing

5. When does it release, exactly?

Thursday, October 15, 2026, worldwide. The precise hour each digital storefront unlocks is not announced; we will post confirmed unlock times on the release date page as they appear.

6. What platforms is it on — and is there a PS4 or Switch 2 version?

Confirmed: PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam. No PS4 version is announced — this is not a cross-gen release. On Switch 2: a game listing exists on the eShop, but Konami has not confirmed a native version, so treat Switch 2 play as unconfirmed. There is no Xbox One version announced either.

7. How much does it cost, and what’s in the Midnight Edition?

Standard digital: $29.99 / €29.99. The Midnight Edition ($39.99) adds a 71-track original soundtrack, 100+ pieces of concept art, Trevor and Sypha outfits, and the “Family’s Grace” relic. Physical versions run about $10 above standard. Full breakdown — including what the relic does and doesn’t promise — sits in the editions guide.

8. Is there a preorder bonus?

Yes: digital preorders include an Alucard-style outfit for Rose. Whether it stays preorder-exclusive or becomes purchasable later is not announced.

The team behind it

9. Who is making it — and who is Evil Empire?

Developer: Evil Empire, the Paris studio that handled Dead Cells’ acclaimed post-launch content, including the Return to Castlevania DLC — the closest thing to a dress rehearsal for this project. Motion Twin, Dead Cells’ original studio, is advising. Publisher: Konami, with producer Tsutomu Taniguchi overseeing. Development has run about four years. Preview coverage has been kind: Kotaku called it “beautiful and ambitious”; TheGamer praised its “killer bosses.”

Availability and the unknowns

10. Is there a demo?

Not announced. No demo, trial or early-access slice has been confirmed. If one drops before October 15, the release page carries it the same day.

11. Is it coming to Game Pass?

Not announced. No subscription deal (Game Pass, PS Plus) has been revealed. Anything claiming day-one Game Pass right now is speculation.

12. How many endings are there?

Not announced. The tagline — “Despair or Salvation” — strongly suggests at least two, and the 1499/1999 timeline positioning invites branching speculation, but Konami has confirmed nothing. We will document every ending after launch.

13. How long is the game?

Not announced. No playtime estimate — main story or completionist — has been published. The non-linear castle-plus-Paris map and Arcana-gated exploration imply a full-length metroidvania, but that is inference from genre, not a stated figure.

14. What languages does it support?

Voice acting: Japanese and English. Text and subtitles: English, Japanese, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Chinese and Korean.

Support type	Languages
Voice acting	Japanese, English
Text / subtitles	English, Japanese, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Chinese, Korean

15. How is this different from Castlevania II: Belmont’s Revenge (1991)?

Search engines keep merging these, so plainly: Belmont’s Revenge is a 1991 Game Boy title starring Christopher Belmont’s son Soleil — a linear classicvania. Belmont’s Curse is a brand-new 2026 metroidvania for modern consoles and PC, starring Trevor’s daughter Rose, developed by the Dead Cells team. Different century, different Belmont, different genre, different game — only the family name is shared.

Updated at launch — October 15

This FAQ is rewritten on October 15, 2026, from the release build: every “not announced” above gets an answer or a verified absence, and the list grows to cover saves, difficulty, New Game+ and post-launch plans as they become official. Until then, everything on this page traces to Konami’s own announcements — and where the record is silent, we say so.