The latest major patch for Nioh 3, version 1.04.00, has been deployed, delivering a substantial package of content, quality-of-life improvements, and critical bug fixes. This update, released on March 11, 2026, marks a significant post-launch support milestone, addressing community feedback and refining the punishing yet rewarding combat that defines the series.
Content Additions and Core System Upgrades
The headline feature of this patch is the addition of free commemorative armor sets. To celebrate Nioh 3 selling one million copies and the series surpassing ten million sales worldwide, players can now obtain the “Million Thunder Warrior Armor” and “Million Thunder Shinobi Garb.” These sets serve as both a reward for the community’s support and powerful new options for character builds.
Enhanced Multiplayer and Endgame Progression
Team Ninja has directly addressed progression pacing in multiplayer and endgame activities. The amount of Glory earned upon clearing missions in multiplayer has been increased, incentivizing cooperative play. Furthermore, following the completion of “The Shogun’s Journey,” equipment with higher + values will now drop at a greater rate, streamlining the path to optimizing high-level gear. The “Soul Matching” system has also seen a welcome adjustment, reducing the material cost required when matching equipment that exceeds a player’s currently obtained + value.
Quality-of-Life and Interface Refinements
A suite of user interface and system setting upgrades aims to smooth the overall player experience. Key additions include a new system setting to disable the automatic replenishment of usable items, giving players finer control over their inventory. Another highly requested feature automatically locks equipment upon acquiring items with rare special effect icons, preventing accidental dismantling or sale. The visibility of Soul Cores set in the Onmyo Box has been improved, and characters now appear brighter during equipment setup for better customization previews.
Functional expansions allow players to return from the Battle Scroll or Mission Yokai Realm Expeditions directly from the main menu. The map interface now displays appearance condition text for icons that previously lacked it. The reward screen for “Battle Scrolls” has been upgraded to show detailed set bonus information for acquired equipment. The “Blacksmith” and “Merchant” menus have also been refined, with new craftable items marked by an “!” icon and an increase to the possession limit for some forging materials.
Comprehensive Weapon Balance and Bug Fixes
The bulk of Update 1.04 is dedicated to meticulous weapon tuning and fixing a vast array of combat and gameplay bugs. These changes are crucial for maintaining competitive balance and ensuring movesets function as intended.
Samurai Weapon Adjustments
Katana
Fixes target the Samurai skill “Sōmaki,” ensuring it properly reflects enhancements during Skill Temper. Issues with the parry skills “Oboro” and “Mikage” have been resolved, where unparryable attacks would always break guard. The “Oboro Ni” skill received fixes for an enemy briefly disappearing during camera events and attacks failing to connect when camera events are disabled.
Dual Swords
A bug preventing Samurai skills from being executed after a quick attack following a dodge has been corrected. The “Frostwind” skill now correctly continues Skill Temper, and the consecutive use of “Falling Sword – Chain” no longer incorrectly consumes stamina without activating.
Odachi
Adjustments ensure the “Shōchō” skill can now perform a Ki Pulse. A bug preventing specific skills from being used after “Evening Wind – Earth” has been fixed, and weapon attributes now correctly apply to the “Snow Moon Flower – Shortened” skill.
Spear
The “Sōtaihen” skill no longer deflects off guards. The “Naruyama – Extend” skill’s travel distance has been standardized regardless of enemy lock-on, and both “Sōtaihen” and “Un’gei” now properly continue Skill Temper.
Axe
The “Rock Hammer” skill’s hit detection has been improved. Several bugs related to the “Spinning Slip” skill and its follow-ups, such as “Great Tree Fall – Swift,” have been addressed to ensure charge time reductions and damage values work as intended after a successful deflect.
Fists
Airborne “Finishing Blows” are now easier to land. Bugs preventing the “Dawn Shadow Kick” from being used during a downed state and “Valley Wind” from continuing Skill Temper have been fixed. An issue where high stance strong attacks could sometimes consume all stamina has been resolved.
Switchglaive
General adjustments make several skills, including “Transformation裁,” “Transformation鋒,” and “Transformation刃,” easier to use. Airborne Finishing Blows have also been adjusted for better accuracy. Critical fixes apply to the Mystic Arts “Transformation燎原” and “Transformation怒涛,” which now correctly possess guard properties, can be used during Living Weapon, and are eligible for Skill Temper.
Ninja Weapon Adjustments
Splitstaff
Bugs where quick attacks would continue when trying to input specific skills, and where double Finishing Blows were sometimes possible, have been fixed. The transition from the “Whirlpool” skill to an aerial strong attack has been smoothed.
Kusarigama
Issues with the Ninjutsu “Kiji Jump” being usable during Living Weapon activation sequences and the “Branch Break” skill moving backwards have been corrected. Stamina consumption for the skills “Yae-gaki,” “Jakō Formation,” and “Leg Shackle” has been reduced from an erroneously high value.
Ninja Blade & Hatchets
For the Ninja Blade, fixes address problems with executing “Rending Sky” after an aerial jump following an aerial skill, and with input buffering during aerial skills. The Hatchets skill “Tile Crusher” no longer allows a Grapple Counter against grab attacks.
Tonfa
Multiple significant bugs for the Tonfa have been patched. The Mystic Art “Divine Mowing” can now cancel into the “Crushing Break” skill. An exploit allowing damage without stamina cost by canceling certain skills with “Divine Mowing” has been removed. The “Impregnable Fortress” skill now works correctly against Yokai and no longer prevents Grapple Counters.
Mission, Boss, and Progression Bug Fixes
Beyond combat, Update 1.04 tackles numerous bugs that could hinder progression or break immersion. A rare issue preventing the use of Leylines has been fixed. Ninjutsu potency now correctly applies to skills like “Thorn Cat Transformation” and “Earth Escape.” Multiplayer-specific fixes ensure Kodama summoned via “Servant Talisman – Kodama” can heal other players.
Enemy and Boss Behavior
Boss targeting has been adjusted to prevent them from fixating on a single player. The camera during lock-on for the “Onryōki” has been tweaked for better visibility of its movements. Specific bugs for enemies like “Nurikabe,” “Bloody Slasher,” and “Shinigami” have been corrected, resolving issues with attack hitboxes, targeting, and premature disappearance.
Sub-mission and Scroll Corrections
Critical path bugs in several missions and scrolls have been addressed. These include fixes for mission progression in “The Burning Spirit Tree in the Ice Capital,” “The Battle of Futamata Castle,” and multiple “Bizarre Tales” scenarios like “In Search of the Strong Flame” and “The Value of Flawlessness,” where players could become stuck or objectives would fail to update.
Set Bonus, Equipment, and Platform-Specific Patches
Balance and Effect Corrections
The set bonus “One-Man Army” has been rebalanced; its “Close Combat Attack Debuff Extension” effect has been reduced from an unintentionally high value, while the activation rate for its “Arrow/Bullet Hit Enemy Damage Taken Increase” effect has been raised. The “Grudge Overshadowing the World” set bonus now correctly triggers its effects, and the “Pacifier’s Leader” 6-piece bonus effect for Ninja has been fixed. An issue where Samurai equipment could incorrectly roll Ninja-exclusive special effects has been resolved, with affected items being converted to their proper Samurai counterparts.
Platform-Specific Updates
PlayStation 5
A bug preventing the cumulative accumulation of military exploits for Clans in the Territory Battle mode has been fixed.
Steam (PC)
PC players receive several dedicated enhancements. Controller stick sensitivity for fine movements has been improved. A highly requested feature to copy appearance setting codes to the clipboard has been added. Specific cutscenes that were locked to 30 FPS now support 60 FPS based on settings. New system settings allow toggling the HUD display for close-range weapon switch buttons. The game will now pause in pausable scenes if the controller is disconnected.
Notable PC bug fixes address graphical noise at specific resolutions, controller recognition issues with certain Xbox controllers and PC environments, and problems with mouse operation in the “Equipment Offering” screen. Anisotropic Filtering settings now apply correctly, and controller vibration no longer occurs during keyboard/mouse input.
This extensive patch demonstrates Team Ninja’s ongoing commitment to polishing the Nioh 3 experience, listening to player data, and ensuring both the moment-to-moment combat and long-term progression systems remain engaging and technically sound for the dedicated community. The addition of free content alongside such a deep list of fixes reinforces the game’s value, inviting both new players and seasoned veterans to dive back into its challenging world with refined tools and a more stable foundation.
