Castlevania Turns 40: Konami Teases Possible 3D Collection

Can you believe Castlevania just turned 40? That's four decades of whipping candles, dodging Medusa heads, and pretending we're not scared of Dracula. Konami marked the milestone with a new retrospective video that pays tribute to Simon Belmont and the series' most influential entries. But eagle-eyed fans spotted something intriguing near the end—and it might be more than just a trip down memory lane.

In the video, Simon takes a stroll past a series of pristine portraits in Dracula's castle. These aren't your typical ruined paintings; they showcase cover art from three 3D-era Castlevania games: Lament of Innocence, Curse of Darkness, and Lords of Shadow. The fourth portrait? That's for Castlevania: Belmont's Curse, which launches in October 2026. Could this be a subtle tease for a new compilation bundling those PS2 and Xbox 360/PS3 classics? Konami isn't saying, and it's equally possible the portraits were chosen simply because they look awesome. But given Konami's history with collections like the Anniversary Collection and Dominus Collection, it's not a huge leap.

What Konami did confirm is a bunch of anniversary goodies. There are sales on select Castlevania titles, new vinyl soundtracks up for preorder, and Castlevania on mobile is free for a limited time on iOS and Android. So even if a 3D collection isn't happening, you can still celebrate without spending a dime.

For longtime fans, next month's Belmont's Curse is the real highlight. After Lords of Shadow 2 in 2014, the series went on hiatus, save for a couple of compilations. But the Netflix animated shows proved the appetite was still there, and last year Evil Empire (The Rogue Prince of Persia) was announced to be reviving Castlevania for PC and console. Belmont's Curse follows Rose Belmont through a ruined Paris as she fights Dracula, and it lets you turn tough bosses into allies. A demo drops October 1, ahead of its October 15 release.

Beyond that, there's hope for more. Konami's strategy of outsourcing to studios like Bloober Team and Screen Burn has worked wonders for Silent Hill, and it looks like they're doing the same with Castlevania. A compilation of those cult-classic 3D games sandwiched between new releases would be a fun way to kickstart a Castlevania renaissance. So, what do you think? Are we getting a 3D collection, or are we just seeing things? Will you be picking up Belmont's Curse next month?