Ghost of Yōtei Legends launched as a free update for all owners of the base game, adding a full multiplayer co-op mode developed by Sucker Punch Productions alongside the single-player campaign. Four playable classes form the backbone of the experience, and each one carries its own tech tree, focus weapons, and unique techniques. Every class also has access to a single katana by default, so you're never locked out of the game's core swordplay — but leaning into a class's specialty weapons and passives is where the real build crafting begins.
Quick answer: The four classes are Samurai, Archer, Shinobi, and Mercenary. All classes share the single katana, but each specializes in different secondary weapons and abilities unlocked through a rank-based passive tree that caps at Rank 24.
How Classes and Weapons Work in Legends
Classes in Ghost of Yōtei Legends are not hard weapon locks. Every class can equip a single katana plus one additional melee weapon determined by their passive tree. Certain gear can even let a class wield another melee weapon outside its default specialization. The distinction between classes comes down to three things: which secondary weapons they unlock earliest, which technique abilities they bring to a fight, and which passive bonuses their tech tree provides as they rank up.
Weapon effectiveness matters in Legends because specific enemy types are vulnerable to specific weapons. Yari are effective against Sickle enemies, Dual Katana counter Polearm enemies, Kusarigama handle Shield enemies, and Odachi work best against Brute enemies. Building a balanced team means covering these matchups across your squad.
Samurai — Frontline Melee Fighter
The Samurai is the melee-focused powerhouse of Legends. Its passive tree eventually grants access to every melee weapon in the game, making it the most versatile class for close-quarters combat at high ranks. The Samurai's techniques lean into aggressive, health-sustaining play.
Samurai Techniques
| Technique | Effect |
|---|---|
| Hachiman's Fury | Perform a series of lightning-fast strikes against a group of enemies. |
| Spirit Pull | Leech health from nearby enemies while active. Melee strikes deal additional damage to all enemies being leeched. |
Additional techniques beyond these two have not yet been confirmed.
Samurai Passive Abilities
| Passive | Rank | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Yari | 2 | Equip Yari. Effective against Sickle enemies. |
| Dual Katana | 5 | Equip Dual Katana. Effective against Polearm enemies. |
| Vitality I | 8 | Increase maximum HP by 30%. |
| Vitality II | 12 | Increase maximum HP by 30%. |
| Relentless | 16 | Increase Melee Stagger damage by 15%. |
| Weapon Master | 20 | Use all melee weapons, including the Kusarigama (no gear slot required). Kusarigama are effective against Shield enemies. |
| Legendary | 24 | Equip one additional Legendary item. |
Archer — Ranged Precision Specialist
The Archer is the only class that unlocks ranged weapons early in its passive tree, making it the natural pick for players who want to deal damage from a distance. Its techniques revolve around guaranteed headshots and ammo efficiency, rewarding accurate play with sustained firepower. Note that co-op has no slow-motion aiming, so ranged combat requires genuine precision.
Archer Techniques
| Technique | Effect |
|---|---|
| Eye of Euchitsune | Target 3 enemies and fire a guaranteed headshot at each. |
| Empowered Hunt | Boost ranged weapon damage and speed briefly. Projectiles gain Piercing and have a massive chance of not consuming ammo. |
Archer Passive Abilities
| Passive | Rank | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Ranged Weapon | 2 | Equip various ranged weapons. |
| Kusarigama | 5 | Equip Kusarigama. Effective against Shield enemies. |
| Vitality I | 8 | Increase maximum HP by 30%. |
| Vitality II | 12 | Increase maximum HP by 30%. |
| Deadshot | 16 | Increase Ranged Damage by 20%. |
| Replenishing Headshots | 20 | Headshot kills have a massive chance to refund ammo. |
| Legendary | 24 | Equip one additional Legendary item. |
Shinobi — Stealth and Assassination
The Shinobi fills the assassin role, built around vanishing, debuffing enemies, and landing devastating critical strikes from stealth. Its Rank 20 passive, Chain Vanish, creates a loop where successful assassinations refresh your stealth — making it possible to chain-kill entire groups without ever being exposed.
Shinobi Techniques
| Technique | Effect |
|---|---|
| Shadow Strike | Enter the shadows and strike enemies from a distance. |
| Toxic Vanish | Vanish in a poisonous smoke cloud that inflicts Stagger damage and leaves enemies Vulnerable to all melee weapons. |
Shinobi Passive Abilities
| Passive | Rank | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Yari | 2 | Equip Yari. Effective against Sickle enemies. |
| Offensive Ghost Tools | 5 | Unlock the Offensive Ghost Tool slot for ranged pressure items. |
| Vitality I | 8 | Increase maximum HP by 30%. |
| Vitality II | 12 | Increase maximum HP by 30%. |
| Weakpoint | 16 | Increase Assassination damage by 30%. |
| Chain Vanish | 20 | Assassinating an enemy while the class ability is active reactivates Vanish and refreshes its duration. |
| Legendary | 24 | Equip one additional Legendary item. |
Mercenary — Hybrid Support and Tool Specialist
The Mercenary replaces the Ronin healer archetype from Ghost of Tsushima Legends with a more aggressive, tool-heavy kit. Instead of a global heal ultimate, the Mercenary's signature technique calls down lightning to disarm and damage enemies. Its passive tree emphasizes Ghost Tools and thrown weapons, making it the best class for controlling the battlefield through utility rather than raw damage.
Mercenary Techniques
| Technique | Effect |
|---|---|
| Takemikazuchi's Smite | Blast of lightning that Disarms and knocks back nearby enemies, then summons 2 Thunderstrikes dealing major damage. |
| Spirit Throw | Conjure a Spirit Weapon that can be thrown at a nearby enemy. |
Mercenary Passive Abilities
| Passive | Rank | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Defensive Tools | 2 | Unlock powerful defensive Ghost Tools. |
| Odachi | 5 | Equip Odachi. Effective against Brute enemies. |
| Vitality I | 8 | Increase maximum HP by 30%. |
| Vitality II | 12 | Increase maximum HP by 30%. |
| Pressure | 16 | Increase Stagger Damage of Ghost Tools and thrown weapons by 20%. |
| Deft Onslaught | 20 | Killing enemies with thrown weapons massively lowers all Ghost Tool cooldowns. |
| Legendary | 24 | Equip one additional Legendary item. |
Difficulty, Progression, and the Raid
Legends offers four difficulty tiers — Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Higher difficulties throw tougher enemy types at you, but reward faster experience gain and better loot drops. There are recommended gear levels for each tier, though the game will let you attempt content above your level with a warning rather than a hard gate.
Every mission is replayable, and most Legends content is co-optional, meaning you can solo it if you prefer. The exception is the upcoming four-player raid, which pits teams against the final two members of the Yōtei Six — the Dragon and Lord Saito. The raid requires exactly four players and involves puzzle mechanics that demand communication. No confirmed release date for the raid has been announced beyond an April 2026 window.
Lobby Features Between Missions
Unlike the flat 2D lobby from Ghost of Tsushima Legends, the new lobby is a fully interactive space. While waiting for teammates, you can adjust your build, tweak your tech tree, review completed feats, and unlock cosmetics. The lobby also includes light competitive activities like Zeni Hajiki (the coin-flipping minigame from the single-player campaign) and Bamboo Cut with leaderboards. A training area lets you practice parry timing and test builds in a low-pressure environment.
Each class has two confirmed techniques with additional slots still being revealed. As more abilities surface post-launch, the build crafting possibilities across all four classes will expand considerably — but even at launch, the interplay between weapon matchups, Ghost Tools, and class-specific passives gives teams plenty of room to experiment.