Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake launches March 2026

KOEI TECMO America and developer Team NINJA have announced that FATAL FRAME II: Crimson Butterfly REMAKE will launch globally on March 12, 2026. The remake of the classic Japanese horror adventure game will be available on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S, and Windows PC via Steam. Pre-orders are now open, accompanied by a new trailer showcasing the game's updated features.

This is a complete remake of the second installment in the FATAL FRAME (also known as PROJECT ZERO) series, which originally released in 2003. The game has received a comprehensive overhaul with enhanced graphics, sound, and controls, offering players a beautifully reimagined haunting experience that brings the classic horror title into the modern era.

The graphical enhancements offer a higher level of detail with refined textures, striking lighting and shadow contrast, generating a more haunting and realistic atmosphere than ever before. The sound has been revamped to offer spatial audio that will immerse players deep into the action, allowing them to enjoy a more authentic experience. Not only will they hear and feel the presence of spirits more intensely, but wraiths will appear when least expected, such as trying to grab the protagonist’s hands when reaching for an item or waiting in the shadows. Players will have to react quickly to escape these attacks. Failure to do so will inflict Willpower Damage, leading directly to intense combat.

The gameplay mechanics of the Camera Obscura, a signature feature of the FATAL FRAME franchise, have also been reworked to offer a more intense and rich experience during combat and exploration. Players will still be able to attack wraiths by taking photos, but managing to align the focus point with their target will inflict more damage. If the damage dealt exceeds a certain threshold, players will be able to activate Shutter Chance state, where they will then be able to deal significant damage with one single picture within a brief period – making it crucial for fans to be precise and to perfectly time their shot.

Players will be able to trigger a Fatal Frame by taking a shot at the perfect moment, which will interrupt and stun their opponent. If fans manage to trigger a Fatal Frame during a Shutter Chance state, they will activate a Fatal Time, a limited window that will allow them to take several shots in quick succession to inflict significant damage.

To confront the spirits lurking in the shadows of Minakami Village, players will be able to rely on new Camera Obscura features such as focus, zoom and filters. By lighting up the focus points on the screen, players will focus on their target and deal more damage to the spirits if they manage to light more focus points. By using the zoom feature, players will be able to attack a spirit from a distance while taking cover and being undetected and will also be able to attack multiple targets at once by zooming out. The zoom of the Camera Obscura will also help players during exploration as they will be able to photograph specific objects. 

Lastly, the filters will help players to unravel the mysteries around them by changing filters depending on the situation or wraith they encounter. Among the different filters they can use, the Paraceptual Filter will allow them to increase their shooting distance in combat and, when exploring, to reproduce past actions using the residual memories.

In addition to these new mechanics, FATAL FRAME II: Crimson Butterfly REMAKE will introduce new gameplay features, such as being able to hold Mayu’s hand, which will recover players’ Health and Willpower. However, if Mayu is in danger, she may stumble and fall, requiring Mio’s help to get back up. Players will also be able to collect Charms they can equip, allowing them to benefit from various effects. By expanding the Charm Bag, the number of charms they can equip will increase.

 Fans can now pre-order the Digital Deluxe Edition, which includes the base game, the Digital Soundtrack and Digital Art Book, as well as the Digital Deluxe Bonus Set featuring the Deluxe Charm and costumes for Mio and Mayu**. A Digital Deluxe Upgrade is also available separately. Players who purchase a physical or digital version of the game before March 25, 2026 will receive the following early purchase bonuses: Wraith Charm, Peony Hair Ornament (Red) / Peony Hair Ornament (Blue), and Kimono (Red) / Kimono (Black).

Players who digitally pre-order the game before March 12, 2026, will receive the Spirit Charm, Cat Ears (White) / Cat Ears (Black) bonus, as well as the costumes Crimson Butterfly - Mio (Original) / Crimson Butterfly - Mayu (Original) bonus, inspired by outfits from the original game.

 FATAL FRAME II: Crimson Butterfly REMAKE is scheduled to release on March 12, 2026, on PlayStation®5, Nintendo Switch™ 2, Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC via Steam®. The game will include voices in Japanese with texts in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish.

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