The ambitious Action RPG, Rise of the Ronin, hit Steam a few weeks ago, and from the outset, it’s unfortunately shaped up to be another disappointing PC port from Team Ninja. As tech enthusiasts at Digital Tech Explorer, we’ve observed that while the game boasts undeniable qualities, these are currently buried beneath a myriad of performance issues. The “Mixed” user reviews on Steam largely echo this sentiment, with most negative feedback highlighting its flawed PC performance.
Rise of the Ronin first launched as a PlayStation 5 exclusive in March 2024. On console, it appeared to perform adequately, earning a 76 on Metacritic, a fact that only amplifies the frustration for PC players.
Developer Response: Apology and Patch Announcement
Team Ninja has now issued an apology to players, announcing that a patch will be released on April 10th addressing these performance issues.
“We are currently investigating reported issues for Rise of the Ronin‘s Steam version,” reads a statement posted on X. “Currently we are preparing a patch, which will be released on April 10th (Thursday), to fix or improve some of these issues.
“We sincerely apologize for any inconveniences that you may have experienced.”
Broader Context: Team Ninja’s PC Porting History and Outlook
This situation, unfortunately, forms part of a troubling pattern for Team Ninja when it comes to their PC releases. As a storyteller passionate about great gaming experiences, I, TechTalesLeo, find this disheartening, especially since the studio is known for crafting excellent action titles. For instance, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty was similarly a hot mess on PC, and just three years ago, the PC version of Ninja Gaiden: The Master Collection was notoriously “rough as a dog.”
One might hope Team Ninja would invest more care into optimizing for PC, the world’s largest gaming platform. While no game launch is entirely bug-free, the recurring theme from this developer involves releasing poorly optimised versions of titles that perform capably on less powerful console hardware. Team Ninja’s track record on PC in recent years clearly indicates “could do significantly better.” If this trend continues, the studio risks cementing an unwelcome reputation among PC gamers.
PC players are hopeful that the upcoming patch for Rise of the Ronin will address the critical performance problems. At Digital Tech Explorer, we’ll be monitoring the situation and hope to see Team Ninja improve its PC development practices for future releases, allowing their otherwise compelling games to shine on all platforms. Stay tuned for more updates and in-depth tech analyses.