Konami Announces Rhapsody in Scarlet for PlayStation 5

Konami revealed its new PlayStation 5 action title, Rhapsody in Scarlet, during Sony's State of Play broadcast on Thursday. The game transports players to a fantasy-infused 1920s New York, where magic-wielders wage an underground war behind the dazzling skyscrapers and lively jazz clubs. It is a rare gaming trip back to the era of flappers, except this time, the speakeasies are packed with mythical beasts.

"We’re thrilled to have revealed Rhapsody in Scarlet," wrote co-producer Takanori Murayama on the official PlayStation Blog, noting that the team designed the combat to emphasize customizable magic combinations over standard weapon swinging.

The narrative centers on Ellie Myers (voiced by Cherami Leigh in English and Akari Kito in Japanese), a young magus who moves to the city that never sleeps with dreams of becoming a jazz singer. Instead of hitting the stage, she gets tangled up with a mysterious mafia syndicate and teams up with Ilya Jones (voiced by Hannah Grace and Saori Onishi), the rule-following leader of a secret magus organization called the Seekers. Players will control Ellie alongside her beast companion, Sköll, utilizing a blend of long-range spellcasting, close-quarters combat, and beast-assisted team attacks.

The announcement was part of a packed broadcast that also featured high-profile updates like Tripwire's Maneater 2 and 4A Games' Metro 2039.

The details

• Platforms: PlayStation 5
• Developer/Publisher: Konami Digital Entertainment
• Release Window: No release date has been announced
• Pricing: Not yet confirmed

Mixing swing and sorcery

To bring the 1920s setting to life, the development team conducted on-site research, gathering historical references for the era's architecture, cars, and fashion. The real-world history is layered with a fantasy undercurrent, including a dedicated magical district inhabited by beasts. The game's soundtrack will heavily feature period-appropriate jazz designed to synchronize with the tempo of the combat, attempting to make swing-filled sound and action come together as one.

What comes next

While Konami has opened up wishlisting for the game on the PlayStation Store, the publisher has not yet committed to a release window or pricing structure. More details were presented during the "Konami Press Start" digital broadcast, which streamed on Konami's official YouTube channel on September 3 at 8:00 AM PT (September 4 at 12:00 AM JST).

Why it matters

For Konami, Rhapsody in Scarlet represents a push into fresh IP built specifically for current-generation hardware, relying on an uncommon historical aesthetic rather than a retread of established franchises. Blending historical fiction with high-fantasy action is an ambitious swing, but in a market saturated with medieval fantasy and grim dark futures, a trip to a magic-fueled Roaring Twenties at least offers a change of wardrobe.