Nioh 3 Hell Rising DLC: Release Date, Price and Content

Nioh 3's first major DLC, Hell Rising, launched on August 19, 2026 for PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam. It costs $19.99 on Steam in the US, and it is also included in the $39.99 Nioh 3 Season Pass and the Digital Deluxe Edition. It adds a new open-field map set in Edo during the Keian era, the hoko and shield weapon, a new extreme difficulty, and a new equipment type called Hundred Demon Realms Picture Scrolls. You must finish the base game before you can play it.

Release date and price

Koei Tecmo America and Team Ninja announced the date on July 28, 2026, and the launch press release is dated August 19. Steam's own store listing shows August 18, 2026, which looks like a time-zone difference rather than a different date. The DLC came with the version 2.00.01 update for the base game.

Prices, taken from Steam's US store on September 30, 2026:

Product	Steam US price
Nioh 3 (base game)	$69.99
Hell Rising DLC	$19.99
Season Pass (Hell Rising and Bloody Insurrection)	$39.99

RPG Site lists the Digital Deluxe Edition, which also includes both DLC packs, at $109.99. I did not verify PlayStation Store prices. Steam's Season Pass listing notes that some pass content may require finishing the main game.

What Hell Rising adds

According to Koei Tecmo, players travel to Edo in 1651, in the Keian era, after the death of the future shogun Takechiyo has left the castle town in chaos. They team up with the one-eyed swordsman Yagyu Jubei and a Spanish envoy named Rodrigo. The new map is a hellish wasteland where yokai, human rebels and foreign alchemists roam.

New weapon. The hoko and shield come in both Samurai and Ninja versions. Koei Tecmo describes a mix of short-spear attacks, shield defense and moves such as throwing the shield at enemies. The version 2.00.01 patch notes say the weapons become available from the Warring States era onward in the main game.

Hundred Demon Realms Picture Scrolls. These are a new equipment category. Enemies rarely drop a scroll, and you must win the automatically generated battle tied to it before you can equip it. You can replay those battles to reroll one of the scroll's special effects and strengthen it. Rock Paper Shotgun notes you can take these fights on with friends in multiplayer.

The Enlightened One's Journey. This is a new difficulty for third playthroughs. Some enemies get a Curse buff that makes them much stronger, and beating them guarantees divine-rarity loot, per Koei Tecmo. The patch notes add that a Burst Break, weak point destruction or a grapple temporarily disables the curse.

Build options. Koei Tecmo also lists new Guardian Spirits, Martial Arts, skills, Ninjutsu, Onmyo Magic, yokai, Soul Cores, and divine-rarity Grace set bonuses.

Who should buy it

• If you already own the Season Pass or Digital Deluxe, Hell Rising is included, and you only need to have finished the game.
• If you never finished the base game, you cannot start the DLC yet, so factor in that time.
• If you want the second DLC too, the Season Pass at $39.99 costs $20 more than Hell Rising alone, at the US Steam prices above.

Story context and the second DLC

Hell Rising is the first half of a two-part story, according to the patch notes and Rock Paper Shotgun. Koei Tecmo's August 19 release says the second DLC, Bloody Insurrection, is in development with more information to come. Steam's Season Pass page and RPG Site both point to a release by the end of February 2027, but that date is stated as subject to change.

How players have received it

Reception is split. On September 30, 2026, Steam listed Hell Rising as Mostly Negative across all languages, with 163 of 490 reviews positive, and Mixed among English reviews, with 82 of 147 positive. Reviews I sampled commonly complained about length and reused assets from the base game, while others called it a solid amount of content and enjoyed the new weapon. The base game itself is rated Mostly Positive, and Rock Paper Shotgun's reviewer gave it its top recommendation. Treat user scores as a snapshot; I did not find professional reviews of the DLC.

What is still unknown

• The exact release date and price of Bloody Insurrection.
• Whether Team Ninja will adjust the DLC in response to the feedback. I found no announcement.
• PlayStation Store pricing for the standalone DLC.

Frequently Asked Questions

When did Nioh 3 Hell Rising come out?

August 19, 2026, on PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam. Steam's page shows August 18 in its own time zone.

How much is Hell Rising?

$19.99 on Steam in the US. It is also bundled into the $39.99 Season Pass and the Digital Deluxe Edition.

Do I need to finish Nioh 3 first?

Yes. The version 2.00.01 patch notes say you must first complete the base game to play Hell Rising.

What new weapon does Hell Rising add?

The hoko and shield, available for both Samurai and Ninja Styles.

Is there a second DLC?

Yes, Bloody Insurrection. Koei Tecmo says it is in development, and Steam's Season Pass page points to a release by the end of February 2027.

Which platforms is it on?

PlayStation 5 and Windows PC via Steam, the same as the base game.

Sources

• https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/nioh-3s-hell-rising-dlc-will-sword-thrust-the-soulslikes-yokai-battling-action-into-decimated-keian-era-edo-when-it-arrives-next-month
• https://www.koeitecmoamerica.com/news/travel-to-the-keian-era-with-hell-rising-the-first-dlc-for-nioh-3-coming-aug-19-2026/
• https://www.koeitecmoamerica.com/news/nioh-3s-brutal-and-bloody-first-dlc-hell-rising-launches-worldwide/
• https://www.rpgsite.net/news/21132-nioh-3-version-2-00-01-update-hell-rising-dlc-patch-notes-ps5-steam-pc
• https://store.steampowered.com/app/4003950
• https://store.steampowered.com/app/4003930