Ghost of Yotei developer Q&A with Rob Davis

Recently, Rob Davis, Campaign director of Sucker Punch Productions was in New Zealand to celebrate the launch of Ghost of Yotei. Thanks to the great gang at PlayStation New Zealand, Rob was able to sit down and answer some questions about the game, its development, its inspirations and also to answer if there were plans to return to the world of InFamous.

Congratulations on the launch, the game's been out for a few days now, and social media feeds are swamped with people sharing fight scenes, the look of it, the picturesque world - how does it feel to get such a reception? 

We’re really thrilled with the reception of the game - and you’re right, it’s been amazing to see people online sharing their beautiful worlds, their incredible story moments, and of course, photo mode has absolutely taken off across X, TikTok, and Instagram. 

There are photo moments in there that I didn’t even know you could make the game look that good! It really speaks to the creativity and passion of our fans. Thank you so much for your kind words and support. 

How did you approach the story of Atsu and how hard was it to look to build the success of Ghost of Tsushima? 

Terrific question. After Tsushima, the pressure was definitely on. People loved the original so much, and we were both excited and inspired to tell the story of Atsu - a wanderer and mercenary on a tale of vengeance. Sounds easy, right? How hard could it be? Atsu was heavily inspired by classic samurai films - Yojimbo, the Lone Wolf and Cub series, and even Lady Snowblood along the way. From the start, we knew there was a deep well of classic cinema to draw from, and that really formed the foundation of Atsu’s story - a tale of vengeance set in the wilderness of Hokkaido. It’s the perfect place for her adventure: full of ruthless ronin, dangerous bounties, and threats across a land north of the Shogunate’s reach. 

We were also lucky to have new writers join the team from around the world, who helped shape Atsu’s tone and personality. And hats off to Erika Ishii - her performance as Atsu is spectacular. She’s confident, determined, and ruthless, but she also brought a warmth and humanity that makes Atsu unforgettable. I’m thrilled to see players connecting with her and her journey of vengeance. 

Where did you draw inspiration from given the genre of Japanese revenge samurai films is particularly deep - was there any one point you started from or was there a major deep dive going on? 

I’ve told a few people this, but since I didn’t work on Ghost of Tsushima, I had some catching up to do. So, I watched a different samurai film every night for about a year. It was a terrific way to connect with our design, writing, and creative teams because that shared love of samurai cinema runs through all of us.

If you play through the game, there’s a quest called Soma the Condemned that’s inspired by the flute player from Ran. That’s one of my favourite nods - it shows how those cinematic inspirations can shape the world, the lore, and the characters of Ghost of Yōtei. 

Can you tell me how you feel about Atsu's journey in terms of start and finish, and how attached you've become to the character - and others you've developed in the game? 

I absolutely adore Atsu. She’s confident, determined, scrappy, and full of heart. What I love most is how clearly she stands as a hero - real, human, and relatable. Erika Ishii’s performance made me love Atsu even more throughout development. As someone who’s played through this game more than almost anyone else, watching her evolve has been an incredible privilege. 

Beyond Atsu, this time around we introduced Sensei Missions, which are a terrific way to earn new weapons, explore the map, and truly feel like a wandering mercenary. They also help you connect with characters who need help out in the valleys. 

 

We must have watched every training montage ever made - from The Karate Kid to Steven Seagal films - and used them all as inspiration for those missions. Not a bad gig, really! We also had a philosophy for this game: every quest and every corner of the world had to feel handcrafted. Even the smallest side characters were written to add depth to Atsu’s story, the lore of Hokkaido, and the people of Azo. 

What's the moment you're proudest of in Ghost of Yotei? 

One of the things I’m proudest of is how fun the game is on Lethal Mode. We’re seeing so many people across TikTok and Twitch choosing to play that way. You can’t play on Lethal unless the combat and frame rate are rock solid - which is a huge team effort. Seeing players around the world, from Brazil to America to New Zealand, take that on is such a compliment to our tech and combat teams. 

And personally? I love watching people fight Takezo the Unrivalled. He’s one of the toughest duels in the game, and I’m absolutely addicted to watching those battles on TikTok. 

What do you wish more people were talking about in the game? And what's the one thing you'd wish someone would ask you about Ghost of Yotei? As it strikes me that there's a lot going on in the open world in terms of small details that not every player will see. 

That’s a great question. Honestly, I wish more people would ask about our technology team. They’ve done so much heavy lifting behind the scenes - our frame rate, performance, and overall stability are top-notch, and that’s thanks to them. They don’t always get the spotlight, but the tech team really delivered for our studio, our players, and PlayStation fans around the world. I couldn’t be prouder of them - and they deserve a massive thank you for helping us deliver such a smooth day-one launch. 

What are you excited for them to find in the game and why? 

I’m most excited for players to craft their own stories. Some will dive into bounties and live that mercenary fantasy. Others will chase the mythic tales and hidden lore of Ezo. And some will focus on the main story, hunting down the Oni or the Kitsune in different orders. What I love most is that two friends can play Ghost of Yōtei side by side and have similar, but completely different, experiences. That sense of discovery and wandering is something only a game can give you.  

There are so many secrets and mysteries out there that you might only hear about through a mate who found something you missed. That’s one of my favourite things - when a game sparks those “water cooler” chats about what you’ve both discovered.  

At what point in the development did you feel you were going too far and had to rein it in and your expectations? 

Terrific question - how long is a piece of string, right? Every idea can be big or small depending on how much time you invest. There was one mission we had to cut, inspired by the Japanese TV series Midnight Diner. It’s about a chef who runs an after-hours eatery and listens to his customers’ stories - really heartfelt, emotional stuff. I must have tried a hundred times to make that mission work. Eventually, someone had to tell me, “Okay Rob, I think you’re done.” I tried my best with one of our designers, but in the end, we had to let the Midnight Diner mission go. 

Personally, you've been in games for 20 years, did you ever imagine you'd be at this stage in a game with a title getting such acclaim and seeing it so widely played? 

We’ve had such a fantastic relationship with PlayStation - both at Santa Monica Studio and now at Sucker Punch. I couldn’t be more thankful for our partners like Scott Rohde and Grady Hunt, who’ve all been incredibly patient and supportive, along with our PR teams in Australia and New Zealand. 

The level of commitment and quality at PlayStation is a huge part of why I’ve had such wonderful experiences working on these projects. It’s a testament to how dedicated the studios are to delivering for players. And thank you to everyone who’s supported us along the way. 

The hardest thing about releasing a game must be letting go of it in some way - you have Legends coming out next year for it, what can you tell us about that? And what's next for the Ghost world and its future? 

The Legends team is full steam ahead right now, and we’re super excited for them to launch next year. They’re an incredible crew. Not much to announce beyond that, except that Legends Mode will once again be free to all Ghost of Yōtei owners. We also have Ghost of Tsushima: Legends coming to Crunchyroll 2027, which is exciting. 

The hardest part of letting go of a game is that it rarely ends with fireworks - it’s more of a quiet moment.You do that final check-in, and there’s this stillness. It’s a bit like the calm ocean at midnight - peaceful, but a little bittersweet. 

I have to ask as a big fan of the games, are there any plans to revisit the Infamous world in any shape or form? 

We’re super focused on Ghost of Yōtei right now and always thrilled that people still love all our games at Sucker Punch. But one of the reasons we’re able to make games like this is because we stay focused. 

After the success of Ghost of Tsushima, our number one commitment was to deliver for players again - that focus is everything to us. So, nothing to say on Infamous at the moment. 

And just finally, what games are you excited to be playing currently or coming up? 

I think I’ve played about 300 or 400 hours of Ghost of Yōtei - I’ve finished it eight or nine times at home! So, I’m excited to finally dive into Death Stranding 2, and I really need to finish Astro Bot, which I love - it’s so charming and heartwarming. Shout out to the Astro Bot team in Japan. Maybe I’ll finish Astro Bot first before starting Death Stranding!

GHOST OF YOTEI is available now, exclusively for PlayStation.