Staying close to its roots, alongside Princess Suzu, Takechiyo and a host of new characters, a plethora of old favourites from the series have been faithfully incorporated, including Haohmaru, Galford, Hanzo Hattori, Nakoruru and Ukyo Tachibana- taking the warriors to over 20 in total. Players can become any one of these unique fighters via the Xbox LIVE online entertainment network, to battle friends to see who can reach the top of a worldwide online ranking system.

Each character has its own unique backstory and stats sheet, with each adopting varied, yet personalised sword styles, such as the Korean spear fighter Kim, along with contemporary, artistic techniques from J, the afro samurai and Gallows, the axe-wielding Viking.