One Turtle Left. Four Sets of Weapons. 5 Things Platinum Games Needs to Get Right

After Paramount Pictures canned its plans for a live-action movie, many assumed the TMNT: The Last Ronin video game would have the same fate. Now, after years of silence, it’s officially back from the dead. Described as a triple-A action-adventure game, Platinum Games (the studio behind Bayonetta, NieR: Automata, and the 2016 TMNT: Mutants in Manhattan ) has been revealed as the new developer at Summer Game Fest 2026. But while the upcoming TMNT game has a first teaser trailer and will be published under the newly formed Paramount Games Studio, there is still no release date for the title.

So, while this adaptation is still a long way from being released (it could be a year or two), here’s what we would like to see in the TMNT: The Last Ronin video game.

The Comic Book Behind The Game

As confirmed by Paramount Global’s Senior VP for games and emerging media, Doug Rosen, to Polygon in 2024, the widely popular IDW Publishing five-issue miniseries is coming to the video game world in the shape of an AAA action-adventure game. Turtlemania is in the air right now, as this storyline has become a firm favourite of Turtle fans around the globe.

Created by Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird, Tom Waltz, Esau and Isaac Escorza, Ben Bishop, and Luis Antonio Delgado, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin takes place in the future where there is only one Ninja Turtle left: Michelangelo. Mikey fights for his fallen brothers (Leonardo, Raphael, and Donatello) and father (Splinter) as he battles the new evil leader of New York City, Oroku Hiroto – the grandson of the Shredder.

With Platinum now officially confirmed as the developer, here’s what The Last Ronin game needs to do justice to the source material:

1. The Use Of All Four Weapons

One of the clever ways the creators hid who was The Last Ronin was by giving him a generic bandana and showing him utilising all the weapons in the promo materials. Eventually, it was revealed that Mikey was using all the weapons as a tribute to his brothers. As a result, he should have the ability to use all the weapons in the video game, too. In God of War, Kratos has been able to choose from a variety of weapons to do the damage, so there’s no reason Mikey shouldn’t follow suit – especially if the TMNT: The Last Ronin video game is built like GoW.

2. The Ability To Be Guided By His Brothers

This seems like a total no-brainer, considering the source material finds Mikey speaking to his brothers throughout the story, but weirder things have been omitted in adaptations. While Rosen explained the other Ninja Turtles may be playable in flashbacks, it would be welcome to see them guiding Mikey, such as showing him where to go in the levels or even assisting him to complete sections through their advice. By doing this, they wouldn’t need to only be featured in cutscenes or flashbacks, but they could be a critical and ongoing part of the game.

3. A Similar Art Style To The Comic Book Series

There’s something special about The Last Ronin. It doesn’t look like other superhero comics, as it has its own aesthetics and specific colour choices. Many adaptations have been guilty of changing iconic looks to suit the vision of the developers, but this is one instance where the team should stick closely to the comic book’s specific look. The TMNT: The Last Ronin video game could do something similar to what the Hellboy Web of Wyrd game is doing in the sense that it’s keeping in line with Mike Mignola’s distinctive art style to mimic the comic book feeling.

4. The Inclusion Of The Story From Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin – The Lost Years

Released as a sequel and prequel to The Last Ronin, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin – The Lost Years is filling in the gaps of what happened in the immediate aftermath after Mikey lost his brothers, as well as what happens after he concludes his mission. While adding the material of future events where Casey-Marie Jones trains the baby Turtles might take away from Mikey’s story, the rest of it is essential to the overall story arc. It even gives Mikey another dangerous foe to face: Death Worm.

5. A Skills Tree That Makes A Significant Difference

Master Splinter trained Mikey in the ways of the ninja, so he’s no slouch when it comes to kicking shell. However, he is forced to sharpen his skills when he’s the last remaining member of the Hamato Clan. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin – The Lost Years showcases him training with Master Yip to further develop his mind and body for what’s to come. Something similar could take shape in the TMNT: The Last Ronin video game as Mikey trains with other masters and warriors, developing his abilities and growing his skills tree. This could come across in his fighting style, too, as he learns new martial arts or techniques to apply in combat and become more deadly.

The Right Studio at the Right Time

Platinum Games has worked on TMNT video game titles before. So this really isn’t unfamiliar territory for the studio. But, more importantly, their experience and understanding of combat systems in games, like Bayonetta and NieR: Automata, make them a great fit for The Last Ronin’s brutal, weapon-switching action.

All they really have to do is match that craft to this material, and the five things on this list have a real chance of making it into the final game.

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