Ghost of Yōtei’s developers, Sucker Punch, reveal why the team chose Hokkaido as its main setting. Read on to learn more about how they recreate Hokkaido in the game and their experiences during their trips to Japan.
Ghost of Yōtei Having Hokkaido as the Main Setting
A Sense of Authenticity to the Fictional Depiction of Real-Life Places
Ghost of Yōtei will continue bringing real-life areas in Japan to the game, having Ezo (present-day Hokkaido) as its main setting. In a PlayStation Blog post on May 15, Sucker Punch Game Director Nate Fox shared details about how the team chose the island of Hokkaido as the location for protagonist Atsu’s journey.
Recreating an actual place is nothing new for Sucker Punch, as the studio has brought Tsushima Island to life in their first game of the Ghost series. The team already has a great track record of doing this, as they received high praise from Japanese critics. Moreover, Fox and Creative Director Jason Connell were made ambassadors of the real-life Tsushima island for their work on showcasing its culture and stories.
In 2021, the city of Tsushima's Mayor Naoki Hitakatsu issued a statement regarding them being awarded such an honour. "Even a lot of Japanese people do not know the history of the Gen-ko period. When it comes to the world, the name and location of Tsushima is literally unknown, so I cannot thank them enough for telling our story with such phenomenal graphics and profound stories," Hitakatsu said.
The team intended to create a respectful representation of Tsushima, the same approach they took for the Ghost series’ sequel. The team’s goal for both games is "To deliver a feeling of authenticity and believability to our fictional story."
For Ghost of Yōtei, they chose Hokkaido as it is "unbelievably beautiful and in 1603 it was the edge of the Japanese empire." Fox said that it was the right place to introduce players to Atsu’s revenge story, showcasing how her actions affect the way people perceive her. He stated, "If you’re going to tell a ghost story, do it in a dramatic location."
A Perfect Marriage of Beauty and Danger
According to Fox, they sent two trips to Japan to gather vital information about their setting and its culture, which he said was the best part of working on the games. One of the places they visited was Shiretoko National Park, which blended natural beauty and a sense of danger.
The beautiful scenery, coupled with the lurking danger of wildlife, created this fusion of serenity and adversity. "A perfect marriage of beauty and danger, that was the exact feeling we wanted for our game. For me, that was the moment I knew Hokkaido was the right choice," Fox explained.
Another place the team went to was Mt. Yōtei, which the Ainu people call the "Machineshir" or "the Female Mountain." The Ainu have long inhabited Hokkaido before the arrival of the modern Japanese. They have deep connections with the natural world and revere the mountain as sacred. For the developers, this mountain became a symbol for Hokkaido, and for Atsu, the family she lost.
Fox stated that the whole experience on the island, talking with the locals, and coming up with new concepts made the trip fulfilling. Sucker Punch’s trip to Japan helped them "capture the spirit of it in our fictional version of the island." As foreigners, they knew how ignorant they were of Japanese culture. More details will be shared soon on how they will try to alleviate this problem.
As they previously mentioned, this game will be the biggest project under their studio, which many fans are excited about. Ghost of Yōtei will launch on October 2, 2025 exclusively on the PlayStation 5. To stay up to date with the latest information about the game, check out our article below!
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Ghost of Yōtei: How Sucker Punch chose Hokkaido for the game’s setting
Ghost of Tsushima devs to be made permanent ambassadors of the real island
