Curse Warrior Announced: Nippon Ichi's New Dungeon Crawler RPG Launches March 2026

Nippon Ichi Software has unveiled Curse Warrior (カースウォリアー), a brand new dungeon crawler RPG that puts a unique twist on the genre by making curses your greatest weapon. The game launches March 26, 2026 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4.

Developed by Guregle Inc. under the direction of Yoshihiko Toda, Curse Warrior challenges players to master a delicate balance between power and peril as they explore the cursed underground labyrinth known as Eclipse.

The Story of Echoes Town

The coastal town of Echoes faces a constant threat from monsters emerging from the cursed underground labyrinth Eclipse. As an adventurer seeking fortune and glory, you accept a monster-slaying contract to protect the beleaguered community while uncovering the treasures hidden within the dangerous depths.

The Eclipse isn't just any dungeon - it's a place where curses run rampant, affecting everyone who dares to enter. But what makes Curse Warrior unique is that these curses aren't purely negative. They're tools to be wielded by those bold enough to embrace their power.

The Curse System: Risk and Reward

At the heart of Curse Warrior lies its innovative curse management system. Curses provide both beneficial and detrimental effects to your party members, creating a constant strategic tension. The key mechanics include:

Curse Gauge Management: Every character has a curse gauge that fills as they accumulate curse effects. Push it past 300% and that character dies - but staying under that threshold while maximizing curse benefits is where the strategy comes in.

Enmusubi (Curse Binding): Combine 2-3 curses together to create more powerful hybrid curses with enhanced effects. This system rewards experimentation and careful planning.

Purification: Return to town to remove specific curse effects at purification facilities. This process yields purification points that can be spent on upgrades and improvements.

Eight Distinct Character Classes

Curse Warrior features eight playable character classes divided into front-line and back-line roles:

Front-Line Classes

Fighter - A balanced melee warrior with high durability and consistent damage output. Equipped with heavy armor and devastating close-range attacks.

Barbarian - Raw power incarnate. Barbarians sacrifice some defense for overwhelming offensive capability and possess special attacks effective against creature-type monsters.

Cleric - The holy warrior who serves as both tank and healer. Clerics can draw enemy aggro while keeping the party healthy, though they suffer from low curse resistance.

Paladin - Similar to the Cleric but with higher critical hit rates. Paladins excel at dealing with undead-type monsters and can turn the tide of difficult battles.

Back-Line Classes

Ranger - A versatile ranged attacker with high accuracy. Rangers can apply defense-reduction effects and trigger poison damage on enemies.

Archer - Pure ranged damage dealing with excellent speed. Archers excel at multi-target strikes but suffer from low defense.

Sorcerer - Offense-focused spellcaster specializing in spirit-type monster elimination. Sorcerers bring powerful buffs and area-of-effect damage.

Wizard - The glass cannon of the party. Wizards have the lowest defense but compensate with devastating magical attacks and utility spells.

Each adventurer receives two randomly assigned unique skills based on their class, ensuring that even characters of the same job type can play differently.

Command-Based Combat

Battles in Curse Warrior use a traditional command-based system where positioning matters. Front-line classes absorb damage and deal melee attacks, while back-line classes provide support and ranged offense. The turn-based nature allows for careful curse management mid-battle.

Quest-Based Exploration

Rather than open-ended dungeon crawling, Curse Warrior structures its exploration around quests. Accept contracts at the tavern, venture into Eclipse to complete objectives, and return to Echoes Town to reap your rewards - or suffer the consequences of failure.

The town serves as your hub for: - Tavern: Recruit new adventurers and accept quests - Purification Facility: Remove curses and gain upgrade points - Upgradeable Buildings: Invest in town improvements for better services

A Fresh Take on Dungeon Crawling

Nippon Ichi Software has built its reputation on unique RPG experiences, from Disgaea's tactical depth to Void Terrarium's survival elements. Curse Warrior continues this tradition by reimagining how players interact with traditionally negative game mechanics.

The curse system transforms what would normally be a hindrance into a resource to be managed and exploited. It's a design philosophy that rewards bold play while punishing recklessness - perfect for players who enjoy high-risk, high-reward gameplay.

For more information, visit the official Curse Warrior website.