Sucker Punch Productions proudly premiered the announcement trailer for their latest game, Ghost of Yōtei, at the September 2024 State of Play presentation, and I haven’t stopped screaming about it ever since. 

The studio published the mighty Ghost of Tsushima in the summer of 2020 and drew overall positive sentiment from critics and everyday gamers alike. Unfortunately for Ghost of Tsushima, the release of the mighty The Last of Us Part II overshadowed that year’s awards cycle. However, Ghost of Tsushima still snagged awards from The Game Awards for Best Art Direction and a BAFTA for Audio Achievement. 

The Washington-based Sucker Punch studio described Ghost of Tsushima as a “hamburger samurai,” their answer to the spaghetti western. Protagonist Jin Sakai takes a conflicting journey through Japan as he defends his homestead while unlearning the traditional approaches to combat instilled in him. Jin takes on the Mongolian army with the help of thieves, bootleggers, and misfits all while processing the loss of his father. Outside of Jin’s incredible journey, Ghost of Tsushima features female combat fighters over the age of 40 and the celebration of queer characters, and it is an absolute masterclass in passing the Bechdel test. 

Rumors of a Ghost of Tsushima sequel raged on nearly immediately upon release, and Sucker Punch did nothing to dispel those rumors. A 2023 Sucker Punch job posting for a Senior Combat Designer and Technical Combat Designer stated that applicants “must have played Ghost of Tsushima and understand its core gameplay systems.” That was certainly enough for Reddit to run with the rumor that a sequel to Ghost of Tsushima was well on the way. 

The studio was tight-lipped about their next title, only providing public hints that another hamburger samurai story was coming. Then, during the September 24, 2024, PlayStation State of Play, the show ended with the surprise announcement trailer of Ghost of Yōtei. 

The trailer gracefully glides over the current state of Mount Yōtei, paired with a Western cowboy duel-inspired cinematic score. A mysterious protagonist slices down an adversary and rides their horse into the night as the Japanese koto replaces the crunch of a traditional Western guitar riff. They ride with a pack of wild horses that would rival Red Dead Redemption 2 and trudge through snow that would also rival Red Dead Redemption 2. 

Our mystery protagonist traverses the beautiful Mount Yōtei, brandishes swords, enters strange saloons, and faces off with adversaries in traditional Western standoffs but does not speak at any point during the trailer. Quickly after the State of Play presentation, Sucker Punch confirmed via Twitter that the protagonist, named Atsu, is played by someone whose senior superlative was ‘Most Likely to Take Over the World,’ Erika Ishii. 

Erika Ishii is a cornerstone of nerd culture. They are well known in gaming circles as Valkyrie in Apex Legends, along with their roles in Cyberpunk 2077, Destiny 2, and the upcoming Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Outside of video games, Erika Ishii is a mainstay in both the Critical Role and Dropout universes, predominantly for their performances in tabletop role-playing game campaigns. 

Critical Role features other video game performers, such as mainstay Matt Mercer, Laura Bailey, and Ashley Johnson, playing Dungeons and Dragons campaigns. Dropout is the streaming platform that evolved from CollegeHumor and is currently overseen by Sam Reich. While CollegeHumor’s first iteration was predominantly sketch comedy, Dropout now includes non-cringe improv comedy shows, ever-changing game shows such as Game Changer, and tabletop role-playing games. 

Erika Ishii’s natural talent for storytelling and performance is highlighted by their innate comedic timing and undeniable charisma in every project they have participated in. In the Dropout universe, Erika Ishii shines as a chaotic bisexual ball of energy. In one episode of Make Some Noise, they sprinted to stuff a sword of pizza into their mouth, embodied a dryad during a police interrogation, and attacked host Sam Reich as a clicker from The Last of Us. Erika Ishii’s competitive spirit and pragmatic problem-solving skills helped them secure third place in Dropout Game Changer‘s “Survivor” episodes.

Erika Ishii’s vulnerability and acting range are also highlighted within Dropout projects, such as the tabletop role-playing campaign, Dimension 20’s Escape from the Bloodkeep, where they portrayed the spider-bodied Lilith who eats stars and aims to end the world. Lilith is a single mother struggling to balance life and work while serving as a friend and confidant to Efink Murderdeath. Lilith’s range of vulnerability and violence was only highlighted by Erika’s excellent gameplay strategy and endless charm.

Erika Ishii’s incredible breadth of work, paired with their clear love of storytelling, makes them a fantastic lead performer for Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Yōtei. Protagonist Atsu is in good gargoyle hands.

Are you excited about Erika Ishii’s leading role in Ghost of Yōtei? Do you think Erika Ishii will notice me based on this article where I’m desperately pleading for her attention? Let me know in the comments unless you’re Erika Ishii, in which case, let me know in my DMs.