On September 18, Cave released a roadmap outlining future update plans for the bullet-hell shooter *New Testament: DoDonPachi Dai Fukkatsu*, along with a producer’s letter.
Future Direction Outlined Amid “Mixed Reviews” Approximately Three Weeks After Release
This title is a refined version of the bullet-hell shooter *DoDonpachi Dai Fukkatsu*, which was released in arcades in 2008.
While retaining the gameplay of the arcade version, it introduces a new “Assist Mode” that automatically slows down enemy bullets as they approach the player’s ship.Additionally, a new mode called “Shooting Royale,” where up to 10 players can compete, and a new stage, “Stage 6,” have been added. For Cave, this is the first title they have developed and published in-house since the 2013 Xbox 360 version of *DoDonpachi Dai Fukkatsu*.
To coincide with the game’s release, Game*Spark is publishing a hands-on report based on a pre-release build and an interview with the development team.
The play report covers everything from the feel of Assist Mode to the new “Stage 6,” new bosses, and the Shooting Royale mode, while the interview delves into the development team’s goal of “moving away from being a ‘difficult game’” and even touches on the second installment of the Refinement Project. Please be sure to check both out to learn more about the game’s appeal.
Meanwhile, on September 3, following the release, the team published a producer’s letter on Steam. Producer Akihiro Kotani apologized, stating, “We are deeply sorry for the major bugs that occurred in the version update immediately after release.” He explained that the team is constantly reviewing user feedback, including Steam reviews, and has begun discussing future updates internally while taking even harsh criticism to heart.
He also announced that a brief roadmap would be released shortly. In fact, as of the time of this article’s writing (September 18), 42% of the 158 Steam user reviews recommend the game, resulting in a “Mixed” rating.
Roadmap Released: From Training Features to “Black Label”
The roadmap released today, September 18, follows the announcement made on September 3.
In his producer’s letter, Mr. Kotani explained that the entire team had taken the reviews and feedback received since the game’s release to heart and had held extensive discussions regarding improvements and new features. With the plan now finalized, he revealed a four-phase roadmap covering October and November 2026, this winter, and beyond.
First, coming in October, is the highly requested training feature. The team will set up an environment where players can freely customize various stages—including AREA 6 (Stage 6)—and their player settings to practice, and adjustments to coin earnings will also be implemented.
Following that, in November, AREA 6 will be unlocked in “Shooting Royale,” the 10-player simultaneous multiplayer mode. Concurrently, the team plans to gradually expand the locations where coins can be earned in Arcade Play, Private Matches, and Free Matches, as well as adjust the matchmaking wait times for Shooting Royale.
Then, this winter, “Black Label (BL)”—a minor update to *DoDonpachi Dai Fukkatsu* that was well-received in arcades—will be implemented. This update will include AREA 6, new BGM for AREA 6, and Assist Mode.
The producer expressed regret that they have not been able to fully meet all of your enthusiastic requests, but explained that they plan to first steadily execute this update plan and then, incorporating the feedback received, move on to the next development phase of the “Refinement Project.” Although details cannot be shared yet, they have announced that they will make an announcement when the time comes.
"New Testament: DoDonPachi Great Revival" is currently available for PC (Steam).
