Tenjutsu Confirmed for Nintendo Switch 2 in 2027: How the Dead Cells Designer's Rogue-Jutsu Powers Up Its 4 Crime Syndicates
French studio Deepnight Games and publisher Devolver Digital stepped into the spotlight during the October 28, 2026 Nintendo Indie World Showcase to unleash a brand-new gameplay reveal trailer for Tenjutsu. Created by Sébastien Benard, the former lead designer behind Dead Cells, this gritty martial arts action-roguelike billed as a "Rogue-Jutsu" is officially confirmed to launch in 2027 on Nintendo Switch 2, alongside versions for Nintendo Switch, PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.
A Renegade Yakuza Taking On Four Evolving Crime Syndicates
Featured among the standout announcements in our complete Nintendo Indie World October 2026 recap, Tenjutsu drops players into the densely packed, neon-soaked streets of Secret Garden City (also referred to as Kuroboro City on its official store page). You step into the shoes of Ten, a former yakuza rebel freshly released from prison who wants a clean slate, only to discover that the city's underground crime bosses view her return as an immediate threat.
To survive and free the city's residents from this urban purgatory, Ten must systematically dismantle the four crime syndicates holding the metropolis hostage. The core strategic hook designed by Sébastien Benard revolves around an open-ended progression structure with lethal consequences: you can tackle the syndicates in any order you choose, but every boss you topple puts the surviving factions on high alert.
Wait too long to confront a specific syndicate, and its leaders will fortify their districts, deploy heavier enforcers, and turn their turf into a brutal gauntlet. Whichever faction you save for last becomes the deadliest adversary of the run, forcing you to weigh which syndicate upgrades you are willing to face against the martial arts build you are putting together.
Improvised Weapons, Tattooed Teeth, and Rebuilding the City
In combat, Tenjutsu carries the unmistakable kinetic punch of its creator's pedigree with a demanding "one versus many" martial arts system. Ten chains together close-quarters strikes, precision dodges, ranged attacks, and improvised weapons snatched straight from the environment. Every brawl also feeds into a gritty meta-progression loop: knocking out syndicate goons allows you to collect their "tattooed teeth."
Between runs, you can trade those teeth to a mysterious Dentist,no questions asked,to unlock permanent upgrades, expand the city's layout, access advanced weaponry, and alter core game rules. As you clear out randomized neighborhoods and break the syndicates' stranglehold, the city physically transforms around you.
Liberated streets come back to life as you unlock new restaurants, shops, specialized vending machines, and martial arts dojos. Players can also spend tactical Jokers mid-run to bend the city's economy in their favor, modifying shop inventories, slashing prices, or triggering emergency heals, while narrative events unfold between expeditions inside Ten's apartment and downstairs at Nanny Hoken's ramen shop.
Launching in 2027 on Nintendo Switch 2, PC, and Consoles
Slated to arrive in 2027 as part of the growing 2027 video game release calendar, Tenjutsu will launch across Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Players looking to wishlist the game or follow upcoming development updates can visit the official Tenjutsu Steam page, publisher Devolver Digital's official site, developer Deepnight Games' portal, and the official Nintendo eShop.
Check Tenjutsu deals on Allkeyshop→
My Perspective
Anyone who sank hundreds of hours into Dead Cells only needs three seconds of this gameplay trailer to spot Sébastien Benard's signature touch: razor-sharp pixel-art animations, bone-crunching hit-stop feedback, and effortless combat readability even when ten thugs surround you at once. What really sells me on playing Tenjutsu on Nintendo Switch 2 is how the four evolving syndicates tie directly into rebuilding the city. Choosing which crime boss to leave until last while opening up local ramen joints and dojos in liberated streets feels like an addictive tactical loop tailor-made for portable runs in 2027.
Based on the outskirts of New York City, Chaya 'Chayane' spent five years studying software engineering in Montreal before returning to her home state. A Full-Stack developer and Deep Learning AI architecture researcher, she explores neural networks and algorithmic optimization while engineering data pipelines for Retrocharting and Gamescharting alongside Grimtag. A gamer for over 20 years and an avid collector of Nintendo history and The Legend of Zelda, she explored World of Warcraft's Azeroth before bringing her deep technical background to video game analysis.
