Muramasa: The Demon Blade was set to debut in the United States thanks to XSEED Games and Marvelous Entertainment. But recently, an official statement by XSEED confirmed that they are no longer working with Marvelous Entertainment in bringing the title to America:

"XSEED Games confirms that it is no longer involved with the North American release of Muramasa: The Demon Blade. XSEED Games and Marvelous had previously announced the game as part of the initial line up between the two publishing partners. We firmly believe in the product and will look forward to seeing it release in North America. We enjoy and respect our relationship with Marvelous, and are committed to working together to deliver an amazing line up of games in the US including the highly anticipated Little King's Story, the epic RPG Arc Rise Fantasia and Suda51's intriguing mystery adventure Flower, Sun, Rain."

Just a day after the statement was made Ignition Entertainment, known for their Lux-Pain localization, was revealed as XSEED's replacement on the publishing front.

Muramasa: The Demon Blade is currently set for a September 2009 release.

Ignition Entertainment Acquires Exclusive Video Game Publishing Rights to

Muramasa: The Demon Blade for Nintendo Wii

Vanillaware's Long-Awaited Masterwork Arrives in North America September 2009

Glendale, CA – April 21, 2009 – Ignition Entertainment Ltd., a UTV Enterprise, a worldwide publisher and developer of videogames, in conjunction with Marvelous Entertainment and Vanillaware, today announced the September 2009 U.S. release of the much-anticipated video game, Muramasa: The Demon Blade, exclusively for the Nintendo Wii.

Developed by Vanillaware, the creative team behind the critically acclaimed game Odin Sphere, Muramasa: The Demon Blade is a unique, highly stylized action adventure that showcases a striking visual look and a colorful cast of more than 100 characters. Hailed by Kotaku as "this year's prettiest, most enticing Wii game," and by IGN as "the most visually stunning game I've ever seen on the Wii," Muramasa: The Demon Blade features eye-popping hand-drawn 2D art that reflects the heritage and tone of its ancient Japanese storyline. Set in the little-known feudal Genroku era, players are invited to take on the role of a male ninja or female kunoichi, utilizing their prowess to traverse the perilous yet picturesque levels.

"Ignition Entertainment is immensely proud for the opportunity to bring Muramasa: The Demon Blade to the legions of North American gamers yearning for top-quality, original action games on Wii." said Shane Bettenhausen, New Business Development Director of Ignition Entertainment. "The talented developers at Vanillaware have crafted an absolutely stunning adventure through feudal Japan that balances subtle, sophisticated artistry with razor-sharp, addictive gameplay."

"We continue to maintain our strong commitment to bring quality games to the marketplace," said Ajay Chadha, President of Ignition Entertainment. "We feel deeply honored for the opportunity to bring Vanillaware's magnificent masterpiece Muramasa: The Demon Blade to gamers stateside."

We developed Muramasa: The Demon Blade in the same way as we did Odin Sphere, so there are bound to be a lot of similarities. I want it to be a very fun game for everyone who picks it up," said George Kamitani, game director and Vanillaware President.

Key Game Features: