Darksiders 4 is official! After many hurdles, companies closing, IPs thrown in limbo, companies returning and finally, the franchise getting a second wind, a fourth (continued) installment of the eponymous game about the war between Heaven and Hell, and mankind’s final judgement caught between, might reach its conclusion at last. Somewhere in there, a Black Sabbath sick guitar intro would be much welcome.
And while most details are still kept under wraps, the things that we do know are already making this one a very, very promising title: please, please THQ Nordic, do not drop this ball.
Read on for all the updates on Darksiders 4:
Darksiders 4: gimme all the deets
Darksiders 4 release date
As a game officially revealed on August 1, 2025, during the THQ Nordic Digital Showcase, we were offered little more than a teaser of Darksiders 4—with a sneak peek at the Four Horsemen as its main highlight.
Sadly, that’s pretty much it in terms of more consistent information: although we know the game will come out on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam, there is no Darksiders 4 release date mentioned as of yet. Not even a release window, mind you, so we can’t even speculate.
Where in overall the story is Darksiders 4 plot set in?
For those who haven’t played it, Darksiders’ story begins with the premature start of the Apocalypse, threatening the flimsy balance Heaven and Hell maintain. The culprit for this early start is War, one of the four Horsemen—or so we thought, as the first game quickly clarifies the comically large warrior is being framed by powers higher than his own.
The subsequent games run in parallel to the first, with each of the Horsemen—Death, Fury and Strife—taking on their own side of an overarching mission of clearing their brother’s name and, maybe, restoring everything. That’s the main background.
Now, notice how we did say “in parallel”. That’s because every game is set in a time where each of the Horsemen is engaging in their own mission. Therefore, Darksiders 4 story picks up right after the end…of the very first game.
A bit of a spoiler here, so read at your own peril: War manages to clear his name (we won’t go into the “how” as you really should play the game, and treat yourself to one hell of a narrative. Now, part of their mission is complete, and it’s time to put things in their right places. And boy, do the Horsemen want to fix things.
The thing that is most noticeable in Darksiders 4 is the fact that all Four Horsemen will be playable, with their unique skills, weapons and fighting styles. It is still somewhat unclear if the player will choose one of the protagonists to run throughout the game (as it has been implied lately) or if you’ll eventually and contextually play each character, kinda like a The Last of Us 2 type of switching points of view mechanic.
Either way, other, original characters are set to make a comeback as well, although THQ Nordic did not reveal which just yet.
If all Horsemen are playable, then what will Darksiders 4 gameplay be like
Every Darksiders game was compared to The Legend of Zelda, of all possible comparisons, due to their slower progression pace and dungeon-like design: in order to advance through each game’s several areas, you’ll usually need a specific, plot-related key item that opens something, does something, kills something, while at the same time, you traverse major, expansive areas that work as a hub of sorts, in order to access several connected places as you advance. There’s no reason to believe that Darksiders 4 gameplay will be any different.
What will most likely set it apart, however, is the fact that you’ll have a very varied fighting capacity, what with all Four Horsemen being playable—and trust us, young one: none of them play the same at all. While Darksiders prioritizes a fast-paced melee combat system with supernatural, RPG-evolving skills and a lot of puzzle solving, each character is unique in their own right. For easier understanding, we listed a quick rundown of each below:
- War (Darksiders): War is a tank, and as such, his gameplay is all about slow, heavy, and deliberate combat. He wields a massive sword called “Chaoseater”, and his attacks are powerful and brutal. He can block and counter attacks, and his primary focus is on wearing down enemies with devastating, short-numbered combos. Think of him as the “brute force” character, a true hack-and-slash warrior. He’s not the fastest, but his strikes hit with immense impact.
- Death (Darksiders II): As the name suggests, Death’s combat is quick, agile, and fluid, a stark contrast to War. His primary weapon is his dual scythes, which he uses for rapid, acrobatic combos. He is also a master of traversal progression, able to wall-run and perform nimble movements in and out of combat. His style is focused on speed and evasion, opening enemies up for some good damage-dealing combination of fast-paced blows before retreating and resetting.
- Fury (Darksiders III): Fury’s fighting style is a blend of precision and magic, making her something of a guerrilla, hit-and-run attacker focused on skill rather than direct combat. She primarily uses a whip, which gives her a technical advantage of mid-distance safety. Her attacks are quick, but she can’t just button-mash her way through. The game’s combat is more of a deliberate “Souls-like” experience, where you need to carefully dodge and time your attacks. Her gameplay is also defined by her magical forms, each providing a new elemental weapon and unique abilities for combat and traversal, such as a fiery flail or a massive hammer.
- Strife (Darksiders Genesis): Strife is the odd one out, focusing entirely on ranged combat thanks to his two pistols—Mercy and Redemption. In the spin-off Darksiders Genesis, the game itself shifts from a third-person action-adventure to a top-down perspective, and Strife’s role is to use his guns to deal damage from a distance. While he does have some melee moves and abilities, his core gameplay is all about shooting, dodging, and using his wide array of gun skills. He’s the “glass cannon” of the group, focused on staying out of harm’s way while dishing out damage.
In every game, gameplay follows the third-person action-RPG mechanic, emphasizing cinematic combat that blends fast-paced melee, fluid traversal navigation, supernatural abilities, puzzle-solving, and exploration of expansive apocalyptic landscapes filled with secrets, enemies, and mythic bosses.
Specifically for Darksiders 4 gameplay, we expect it to be very expansive, leaning heavy on the navigation part and making the player revisit the same area several times—but with a different character—in order to explore every nook and cranny in search of all available loot.
Miscellanea
As for the rest of the details, like we said earlier, they’re not that numerous to tell you much of the game. However, Darksiders 4 will bring some options that more than a few players will not recognize (especially those who haven’t played Genesis):
- Co-op gameplay, up to four players, each assuming the role of one Horseman. It is most likely a beefed-up version of the mechanic introduced in Darksiders: Genesis and it will probably bring a four-way split screen look.
- Preorders will be available (but not yet): there’s already a good number of Darksiders 4 sites available, like an official web page (https://darksiders4.thqnordic.com), a Discord server (https://discord.gg/darksiders), and Steam page (https://store.steampowered.com/app/1203170/Darksiders_4/). All of these mention the presence of preorders, but no word just yet on what are the bonuses, prices and availability.
- Speaking of prices, it is likely the game will bring a regular, $69,99 price tag. The industry is shifting to increase that, make no mistake, but for now, most games seem to be holding off on putting that in the gamer’s pockets.
- Finally, this is a full-on, direct sequel, not a spin-off, as THQ Nordic and development studio Gunfire Games have both confirmed this as a mainline sequel. It will bring closure to the overarching plot, setting the game to a major conclusion.
