After a fresh Twitter leak appeared this week, fans are wondering “is Ghost of Ikishima real?”. Rumours suggest it’s likely. But are they legitimate, what details do we have and when can fans expect to get their hands on the Ghost of Tsushima sequel?
Is Ghost of Ikishima Real?
The first thing to mention is that this is purely a rumour. Nothing official has been confirmed. Twitter user @Shpeshal_Nick stated in a Tweet: “Ghosts of Ikishima. An Expandalone type game. Aiming for 2021. Not sure how so many seemed to find out so quick.”
@Shpeshal_Nick has accurately predicted things in the past. Whether he has legitimate sources or purely makes predictions based on speculation is anyone’s guess. But sharing unsubstantiated rumours does leave us dubious. After all, it’s a nice way to build yourself a Twitter following.
The second thing to consider is that while the Ghost of Ikishima leak may appear to have been corroborated by other sources, they’re simply using the leak to clickbait fans. When these sorts of leaks emerge, publishers such as Gaming Bible take advantage and post embellished headlines to their Instagram and Facebook pages. These posts always do well. But beyond the fake news headline, fans need to “click the link” in the bio to find out the truth. And in this case, it’s that Ghost of Ikishima isn’t actually confirmed. It is just a rumour. The key thing to remember is that just because something is being reported as fact, doesn’t mean that it is.
Of course, if Ghost of Ikishima does turn out to be real, that’s great. PlayStation fans loved Ghost of Tsushima. And there’s every chance this “leak” could turn out to be true. But don’t take it as confirmation.
Ghost of Ikishima details
So, the game isn’t confirmed. But the leaker has shared supposed details of it. According to the Twitter user, Ghost of Ikishima is set to be an “Expandalone type game”.
What is an expandalone game?
What is an “expandalone” game, you ask? It’s a fairly new term that has been coined in the wake of games like Uncharted: Lost Legacy and Spiderman: Miles Morales. Both were released under the pretence of being sequels to their predecessors, but in reality were much more compact offerings. Basically, mini-sequels.
There’s nothing wrong with expandalones in theory, but they do set a worrying trend of publishers releasing glorified DLC as stand-alone games at full price. Ultimately, they’re a convenient way of releasing full-priced games to reduced timescales in an era when full-sized games are taking longer to develop.
What is Ikishima?
Ikishima, better known as Iki Island, is a small island in the Tsushima Strait of Japan. Similar to Tsushima Island, it was invaded during the Mongol invasions of Japan in the 13th Century.
While that makes for logical sequel material, it almost seems too obvious. Like the sort of thing fans would come up with for their fake posters and trailers.
When is Ghost of Ikishima coming out?
According to the leak, Sucker Punch and Sony are aiming to release Ghost of Ikishima in 2021.
There’s still 5 months left of 2021, so it’s possible. But, as of now, the game hasn’t been officially announced. And the closer we get to the end of the year, the less likely it seems.
In 2020, Sony held a big State of Play in August. So, there’s every chance we’ll see Ghost of Ikishima, if it is real, at a State of Play in August this year. That would allow time for excitement to build ahead of the holiday period and help beef up Sony’s Christmas PS5 lineup.
Do you think there’s anything to these Ghost of Ikishima rumours? How do you feel about it being an expandalone game? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. And don’t forget to check out our other gaming articles!
