Sucker Punch Productions says it rebuilt Jin Sakai from the ground up for Ghost of Yōtei: Most Wanted, including more than 60 attack animations that had to be moved to a new character rig. Jin is a playable character in the single-player combat mode that arrived on PS5 with Ghost of Yōtei Complete Edition, and the studio detailed the work in a PlayStation Blog post on November 4, 2026.
The mode, a class-based roguelike, was designed as a replayable way to practise the combat of Ghost of Yōtei. PlayStation says it needs an internet connection, a PlayStation account and patch v.2.0 or later.
Why did Sucker Punch bring Jin back?
Most Wanted began as a way to try combat from a perspective other than Atsu. The team prototyped the idea with other characters first, then tried Jin early on. According to Parker Hamilton, Systems Design Lead, Lead Combat Designer Ted Fishman concluded that a partial version would not deliver the fantasy of playing as Jin, so the team committed to bringing back all of him, including every stance and the sticky bomb.
That decision meant new art assets and adapting to how combat changed between Ghost of Tsushima and Ghost of Yōtei. Hamilton says the excitement of the team kept growing as the scope became clear.
How do Jin’s combat styles work in Yōtei?
Jin keeps his stances and his Stone Stance training, and the team gave him perks that reflect his classic style. Programmer Nate Slottow says Jin’s 60+ attack animations, most with their own kill animations, were retargeted, retouched and rebalanced for Yōtei’s combat. The Piercing Strike of Stone Stance was far too strong when first implemented, he says.
Other details from the studio:
- Custom strafe animations for each stance, built to support the new Focus Attack model.
- A Rattling Parry perk that deals more Stagger damage on successful parries, so Parry Interrupt happens more often. Ghost of Tsushima had no split between Parry Deflect and Parry Interrupt.
- Perks that encourage Perfect Parry, plus a boost for following Quickfire with melee.
- Perks that bring back Jin’s connection with the wind.
What changed in his look and animation?
Senior Staff Animator Mark Wheeler says the team revived Jin’s idle actions as well. His rarely seen bird hold idle now appears in the character selection menu, and the selection animation is inspired by the moment in Ghost of Tsushima when Jin first recovers the storm blade.
Character Artist Nate Ramsey says the original armor model, made by Emre Ekmekci, largely held up, so the work was a new coat of paint that keeps the old materials and adds subtle wear. The face and hair took more care: skin textures, shaders and facial hair were set next to Atsu so both look like they belong to the same era. The team started from the Tsushima textures, sharpened the scar and baked new normal maps.
Production Art Director Joanna Wang notes that Jin was created for PS4 while Yōtei was built entirely for PS5. The team kept small gestures, such as the thumb pushing the tsuba before a duel and wiping blood from the blade after a kill.
What about the sound and voice?
Audio Director Brad Meyer says special attacks such as Heavenly Slash, Dance of Wrath and Ghost Stance came directly from Ghost of Tsushima assets. Jin’s musical theme returns in a new version recorded with Justin Johnson on lap steel guitar. Movement sounds were rebuilt for the new animation tagging system by sound designer Chris Walasek. Daisuke Tsuji returned as Jin’s voice, and some of his lines ended up in the main game.
Prices
The PlayStation Blog post does not list a price. In the earlier announcement of the mode, PlayStation gave $69.99 for the Complete Edition for new buyers, digital, and $14.99 for the Complete Edition Upgrade for existing owners, without naming a currency or country. The Complete Edition includes the original game, Ghost of Yōtei Legends, the Digital Deluxe Edition content, Most Wanted and Echoes of Sekigahara. Check the PlayStation Store in your region for the price that applies to you.
Who it suits
Ghost of Tsushima fans. Jin comes with his four stances, the sticky bomb and Dance of Wrath as his Ultimate, so this is the closest thing to playing him again in a modern engine.
Players who like short, repeatable runs. Most Wanted is built around bounties and perks that you can replay at higher difficulty, with Jin as one of four characters.
Atsu campaign players. Cosmetics earned in Most Wanted also unlock in the main game, according to PlayStation’s earlier post.
Who should wait. If you want a story campaign with Jin, this is not that: Most Wanted is a combat mode, and the sources do not describe new story scenes for him.
What is still unknown?
The blog does not say how long a typical run lasts or whether more characters will be added later. It also gives no regional pricing. The official PlayStation Blog post and the earlier mode announcement are the pages to read for the full list of perks, stances and requirements.
