Team Ninja has deployed the substantial Nioh 3 Update 1.040, a comprehensive patch that addresses a vast array of player feedback with sweeping weapon adjustments, quality-of-life enhancements, and the distribution of free commemorative armor. Released on March 11, 2026, this update (version 1.04.00) follows the recent 1.030 patch and tackles lingering gameplay issues, bug fixes, and platform-specific improvements for both PlayStation 5 and Steam.
Core Enhancements and Anniversary Rewards
The headline addition for all players is the free distribution of the “Million Thunder Warrior Armor” and “Million Thunder Ninja Garb.” These commemorative sets celebrate the milestone of Nioh 3 selling one million copies and the series surpassing ten million units sold globally. This gesture rewards the dedicated community and provides new aesthetic options for both Samurai and Ninja playstyles from the moment they log in post-update.
Multiplayer and Endgame Loot Improvements
Recognizing the importance of cooperative play, Update 1.040 significantly increases the amount of Glory earned upon completing missions in multiplayer. This adjustment makes grinding for multiplayer-specific rewards a more efficient and rewarding endeavor. For endgame players tackling “The General’s Journey,” the drop rate for equipment with higher + values has been increased after clearing these challenges, providing a better path to power for those seeking the most potent gear.
Comprehensive Weapon Balancing and Fixes
The heart of patch 1.040 lies in its meticulous rebalancing of Nioh 3’s expansive weapon arsenal. Team Ninja has addressed numerous bugs and inconsistencies that affected combat flow, responsiveness, and technical play.
Samurai Weapon Adjustments
Substantial work has been done across the traditional Samurai armory. For the Katana, fixes resolve issues with the “Sōmaki” skill not benefiting from active Skill Sharpening and problems with the parry frames on “Oboro” and “Mikage.” The Dual Swords received corrections allowing Martial Skills to properly execute after a dodge attack and fixing a bug where “Falling Sword – Chain” would consume Ki without activating correctly.
The Odachi saw fixes to the “Shōchō” skill’s inability to perform Ki Pulse and an issue where weapon attributes failed to apply to “Snow Moon Flower – Reduced.” Spear users will find “Sōtaihen” no longer deflects off guards incorrectly, and both it and “Un’ei” now properly maintain Skill Sharpening. The Axe benefits from an increased hitbox for the “Gan’tsuchi” skill and multiple fixes to the flow after a successful “Senguri” parry, ensuring follow-up charged attacks execute with proper damage and reduced charge time.
For Fists, aerial finishing blows are now easier to land, and bugs preventing the use of “Shin’eikyaku” from a downed state or canceling recovery with a guard have been resolved. The Switchglaive received broad usability improvements for skills like “Tenpen Sai,” “Tenpen Hō,” and “Tenpen Jin,” alongside fixes to its Mystic Arts which previously lacked guard properties and were excluded from Skill Sharpening.
Ninja Weapon Refinements
The ninja toolkit has been similarly polished. The Staff had a bug fixed where light attacks would continue instead of transitioning into specific Martial Skills. The Kusarigama saw adjustments to the high Ki cost of skills like “Yaegaki” and “Jakōjin,” making them more sustainable in combat. For the Splitstaff</strong, a critical fix prevents players from exploiting the "Shin'nagi" Mystic Art to cancel skills like "Kōryūha" without Ki cost while still dealing damage.
The Tonfa received a fix for an issue where attempting a Martial Skill after the “Senpo” skill would incorrectly result in a strong attack. General improvements were also made to the hit registration for aerial finishing blows when using weapons like the Fists and Switchglaive.
System Upgrades and Quality-of-Life Features
Beyond combat, Update 1.040 introduces numerous interface and system upgrades designed to streamline the player experience. A highly requested feature now allows players to disable the automatic replenishment of usable items, granting greater inventory control. Another welcome addition automatically locks equipment upon acquiring it if it has a rare special effect icon, preventing accidental dismantling or selling of prized loot.
Interface and Customization Expansions
The blacksmith interface has been refined; the “Item Forging” tab now displays an exclamation mark when new forgeable items become available. Inventory management sees improvements with increased holding limits for some smithing materials and a fix for the “Soul Matching” cost reduction being erroneously reset if enhanced equipment is dropped and picked up.
Character customization receives attention with the addition of a new “Eye Shape Type 6” and fixes for asymmetrical eyebrows and inconsistent makeup appearance between menus and gameplay. The update also improves the visibility of soul cores set in the Onmyo Box and makes the character model brighter during appearance configuration.
Mission, Boss, and Set Bonus Fixes
A significant portion of the patch notes is dedicated to rectifying progression-halting bugs and balancing equipment set effects. Critical fixes have been applied to several Twilight Missions (“奇譚”). For instance, an issue preventing the start of “In Search of Strong Fire” if the “Kagutsuchi’s Magatama” couldn’t be given to the blacksmith has been resolved. Problems with NPC companions like Tokugawa Ieyasu becoming unresponsive in “Inquiring of an Old Medicine” have also been addressed.
Boss Behavior and Effect Corrections
Boss encounters have been smoothed out. Adjustments ensure bosses no longer relentlessly target a single player in multiplayer and improve the lock-on camera for the “Onryōki” to make its movements clearer. The “Nurikabe” yokai’s throw attack now more reliably hits players directly in front of it.
Set bonuses (“揃え効果”) have been carefully rebalanced. The “One Against a Thousand Soldiers” set’s “Extend Debuff with Melee Attack” effect has been toned down as it was more powerful than intended, while its “Increase Enemy Damage Taken with Arrow Hit” probability has been increased. The “Resentment Overwhelms the World” set’s effects for healing on life drain and triggering “Reiryoku Transfer Blaze” have been fixed to work correctly, with the latter also receiving an adjustment to consume less anima when triggered by high-damage ninjutsu.
Platform-Specific Improvements
Steam (PC) Enhancements
The PC version receives tailored upgrades, including improved recognition of subtle stick movements on controllers, the addition of a button to copy appearance setting codes to the clipboard, and support for 60 FPS in certain cutscenes that were previously locked to 30. A new system setting allows players to toggle the display of the close-range weapon switch button on the HUD. Important fixes resolve issues with screen-edge noise at specific resolutions, controller input failures when the window is inactive, and the incorrect application of anisotropic filtering settings.
PlayStation 5 Fixes
The PS5 version’s primary fix addresses a bug where accumulated military prestige for clans in the territory battle mode (“勢力戦”) was not being tallied correctly, ensuring competitive play is accurately tracked.
Comprehensive Bug Squashing
The patch concludes with an extensive list of general bug fixes that improve overall stability. These include resolving rare instances where Leylines became unusable, fixing ninjutsu like “Thorn Cat Transformation” and “Earthfold” not scaling with Ninjutsu Power, and correcting multiplayer-specific issues such as Kodama summoned via “Kodama Soul Core” charms not healing other players. Issues with mission progression in “The General’s Journey,” display errors in the illustrated guide, and various UI inconsistencies in menus like the Blacksmith’s “Sell” or the Hidden Teahouse’s “Offer” have all been meticulously corrected.
This update represents Team Ninja’s ongoing commitment to refining the Nioh 3 experience, demonstrating a clear response to community data and player reports since the game’s launch. By smoothing out combat intricacies, removing frustrating bugs, and adding thoughtful quality-of-life features, Update 1.040 strengthens the foundation of the game’s challenging and deep action-RPG gameplay, ensuring both new recipients of the anniversary armor and seasoned veterans have a more polished and rewarding journey through its treacherous, demon-infested history.
