THQ Nordic and Campfire Cabal have announced Expeditions: Samurai, a party-based RPG coming to PC via Steam in 2026. The new entry takes the series to Sengoku-era Japan, during a civil war approaching its decisive stage. Rather than following William Adams, the historical navigator who became the first European granted the title of samurai, the game builds an alternate path: Adams never leaves England, and the player reaches Japan first aboard the battered Dutch frigate De Albatros.
Players become the newly elected leader of a mixed crew of privateers, then quickly get pulled into the politics, intrigue, and violence of feudal Japan. The roleplaying structure is built around choice and consequence, with decisions affecting the captain, the crew, and the people encountered across the country. The story uses real historical events as its foundation, but the campaign gives players room to define their own identity, decide how to handle powerful warlords, and shape a personal route through a nation on the edge of transformation.
The crew is just as important as the larger conflict. Expeditions: Samurai features eight companions, each with a personal story that opens only if trust is earned. Relationships can grow into meaningful friendships, lasting rivalries, or possible romances, making party management part of the narrative rather than simple roster selection. Combat is turn-based, but designed to feel fast and flexible, with movement, attacks, and interruptions able to resolve at the same time.
Stealth and preparation will matter before weapons come out. Players can split the team, position characters in real time, set up ambushes, use gadgets, and combine pirate tools with iconic Japanese weapons. Crafting and loadout experimentation add another layer, especially against varied enemy types. For the first time in the Expeditions series, drop-in and drop-out cooperative play is included: solo players control their own Captain Flynn, while co-op players take the roles of twins. Cooperation can mean synchronized takedowns, distractions, and tactical maneuvers, but also arguments over major decisions or competition for a companion’s affection.
