Beast of Reincarnation is available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. The single-player action RPG pairs Emma’s real-time sword combat with commands for her canine partner, Koo. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass include the base game.
The game mixes fast real-time sword combat with a command menu for Koo that slows the action while you choose his next move. It is not a Pokémon-style monster-collecting game, and it is not an open world. The structure is a stage-based journey through a ruined version of Japan in the year 4026.
This guide covers the released game: platform access, combat, difficulty, editions, PC requirements, and the September update changes worth checking before you start.
Beast of Reincarnation release date
Beast of Reincarnation released on August 4, 2026 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. The US Steam store lists August 3, 2026. The game is already available on all three platforms; there is no launch countdown to wait for.
Platforms and Game Pass
Choose the version that matches where you want to play:
- PS5 — the console version supports offline single-player play.
- Xbox Series X|S — the digital Xbox version supports Xbox Play Anywhere.
- PC — available through Steam and the Xbox app on Windows.
- Xbox Cloud Gaming — Ultimate includes the game. The Xbox listing says Essential and Premium subscribers must also purchase it to stream it.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass include the base game, not an automatic Deluxe upgrade. Xbox Play Anywhere applies to the digital Xbox version across supported Xbox and Windows devices; do not treat a separate Steam purchase as an Xbox entitlement.
The listed native versions are PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Windows PC. A cloud-streaming option is not a native PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, or Switch 2 release.
Is Beast of Reincarnation multiplayer?
Beast of Reincarnation is single-player. You control Emma directly and choose Koo’s actions through commands; he is not a second player’s co-op character.
Story and setting
The story takes place in Japan in the year 4026. The country has been damaged by a force called blight, which can suddenly turn wasteland into thick, dangerous forest. Giant creatures known as Nushi rule these blighted areas.
Emma was born as a Blightborn. The condition took her memories and emotions but gave her the power to control plants. She also carries the role of a sealer, hunting dangerous creatures called malefacts and absorbing their blight.
Koo is a malefact in the form of a dog, which should make him Emma’s target. Instead, the two become partners. Their journey leads west toward the Beast of Reincarnation, the source of the blight. They must defeat the Nushi and take their powers before they can face it.
How combat works
Emma handles the real-time side of battle. She attacks with a katana, blocks, dodges, parries, and can use plant abilities to move through fights. Successful parries generate the resource needed for Koo’s stronger techniques.
Opening Koo’s command menu slows the action while you choose a technique. It does not turn the whole fight into a paused, turn-by-turn battle. Keep track of nearby threats when you return to controlling Emma.
Successful parries help supply Koo’s techniques. Learn an enemy’s attack timing, then use the command menu to choose an appropriate response. The slower selection window gives you more time to decide, but should not be confused with a full pause.
Difficulty options
The three established difficulty settings are:
- Story Mode — more forgiving parry timing and lower enemy damage.
- Normal Mode — the standard balance for a first playthrough.
- Hard Mode — a more demanding option for players who want tighter combat pressure.
Choose Story if you want more forgiving timing while learning Emma and Koo’s partnership. The September patch notes describe an additional mode above Hard as a future change, not a mode added by that patch.
Builds, weapons, and progression
Emma can find new katanas, while Koo uses charms. Both types of gear carry different bonuses, so builds are not limited to raising a single damage number. Spirit Stones add effects that react to specific actions in battle.
Emma and Koo have separate skill trees. Gear and Spirit Stones support different approaches, including ranged attacks, stealth, and direct aggression. Read the effects on your equipped items before investing in a skill that depends on them.
Is Beast of Reincarnation open world?
No. Director Kota Furushima has described it as a stage-based journey with room to explore away from the main path. The areas include optional items and side quests, but they do not form one uninterrupted open-world map.
Before release, director Kota Furushima estimated roughly 10 stages and about 30 hours. Treat that as the developer’s estimate, not a measured completion time for every difficulty or a promise about a completionist run.
Standard and Deluxe editions
The US stores list Standard at $59.99, Digital Deluxe at $69.99, and a separate Deluxe add-on at $9.99. Regional prices and discounts can differ. Standard contains the base game; Deluxe adds the items below, not a separate story campaign.
Deluxe Edition contents
- Brown and Black Shiba skins for Koo
- Big Dipper sword for Emma
- Oni’s Hat for Emma
- 100,000 Amber
- Vegetable Seedlings for in-game use
The earlier Standard preorder offer included a Brown Shiba skin and 30,000 Amber. Do not assume a new Standard purchase includes that expired preorder offer. Deluxe’s listed contents remain available after launch, and its add-on requires the base game.
September patch: what changed
Patch v1.0.11/v1.009.000, dated September 8, includes these changes.
Skills tied to flower nodes can now be reset. If an older guide says those choices are permanent, check that your game is updated before planning around that restriction.
Console players can disable film grain, chromatic aberration, and cutscene post-processing. Selected scenes through Great Wall Terraces can now be skipped; this does not mean every cutscene is skippable.
The patch fixes the Decayed Charms cap that could convert excess charms into money after appraisal, but it cannot restore charms lost before the fix. It also addresses a cloud-streaming tutorial progression issue.
A difficulty above Hard, harder New Game+ options, automatic enemy-drop pickup, and more skippable scenes remain listed as future work in these notes. Do not expect those features from this patch alone.
PC system requirements
The PC store now publishes complete hardware requirements.
Minimum: 64-bit Windows 10 or 11, Intel Core i5-8400 or Ryzen 5 3600, 16 GB RAM, and GTX 1070 8 GB or Radeon RX 580 8 GB.
Recommended: 64-bit Windows 11, Intel Core i7-12700K or Ryzen 7 5800X, 16 GB RAM, and RTX 3060 12 GB or Radeon RX 6700 XT 12 GB. Both tiers require DirectX 12 and 45 GB of available SSD space.
The listed targets are 1080p at 40 fps on Low or 60 fps on Medium, using upscaling. These are publisher targets, not our benchmark results or native-resolution guarantees. The GTX 1070 does not support DLSS; use the supported upscaling option for your GPU.
Frequently asked questions
When did Beast of Reincarnation release?
August 4, 2026 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S; the US Steam listing records August 3. It is available now.
Is Beast of Reincarnation on Game Pass?
Yes. Ultimate and PC Game Pass include the base game. Streaming with Essential or Premium requires a separate purchase according to the Xbox listing.
Is it available on PS5?
Yes. The PS5 version is available and supports offline single-player play.
Is Beast of Reincarnation a Pokémon game?
No. Game Freak develops both, but Beast of Reincarnation is a separate, darker action RPG with its own world and characters.
Is it a Soulslike?
The parry-focused combat may appeal to Soulslike players, but Game Freak calls it an action RPG and includes Story, Normal, and Hard modes. It should not be treated as a traditional Soulslike without qualification.
Can you play as Koo?
Koo is directed through a command menu. Players control Emma directly and choose Koo’s techniques during combat.
Is it open world?
No. It uses large, explorable stages with optional paths and side content.
