Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse Passes the Whip to Rose Belmont
GAME MODE Staff·Oct 16, 2026· 2m read
Konami’s new 2D action adventure launches with seven weapon classes, a grappling whip, and a boss-powered Arcana system.
Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse is available October 15 on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox on PC, with Xbox Play Anywhere support. The new 2D entry puts Rose Belmont at the center of a burning Paris in 1499, where she joins her father Trevor to investigate the monsters pouring into the city.
Rose brings a faster style to the family business
Combat spreads across seven weapon categories: whip, longsword, gauntlets, spear, greatsword, sword and shield, and twin swords. Each has its own move set, while a new parry creates openings against clearly telegraphed attacks. The Vampire Killer whip also doubles as a grappling hook, letting Rose swing through stages, pull herself toward anchor points, and launch directly at enemies.
Bosses become part of the build
Defeated bosses are sealed into tarot-like Arcana cards that grant Rose new spells and special actions. Those abilities can be strengthened through Works of Mercy, optional objectives tied to how each spell is used and to discoveries made around the world. Builds are rounded out with three relic slots, and weapons, spells, and relics can be changed from the pause menu.
Konami developed Belmont’s Curse with Evil Empire and support from Motion Twin, connecting Castlevania’s exploration structure with the studios’ experience on Dead Cells. The result keeps a fixed, secret-filled world while pushing movement and combat toward a more aggressive rhythm.
