Team Ninja and Koei Tecmo just dropped a hefty update for Nioh 3, and it’s packed with fixes that address some seriously frustrating issues players have been reporting since the game’s explosive February 6 launch. If you’ve been stuck unable to progress, dealing with random crashes, or fighting buggy weapon movesets, this patch is for you.
Nioh 3’s Massive Launch Success Makes This Patch Critical
Before diving into the fixes, it’s worth understanding why this patch matters so much. Nioh 3 shattered franchise records with an 88,045 concurrent players peak on Steam during its first weekend—more than double what Nioh 2 achieved (41,325 players) and over eight times the original Nioh’s peak (10,649 players). The game also set a new record as the highest concurrent player count for any Koei Tecmo-published game on Steam, surpassing even Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty’s previous benchmark of 75,906 players.
With that many players diving in simultaneously—and the game selling over 700,000 copies across PS5 and Steam in just four days, generating over $50 million—progression blockers and stability issues become critical problems fast. This makes Patch Ver1.03.01, released February 13, 2026, an essential update for maintaining the game’s momentum.
What’s New in Nioh 3 Patch Ver1.03.01
The latest update tackles everything from game-breaking progression blockers to annoying combat glitches. Here’s the complete breakdown of what got fixed across PlayStation 5 and Steam.
Training Ground Quality of Life Improvements
Team Ninja made significant changes to help players master the game’s notoriously brutal combat:
Enemy Health Boost: Training Ground Battle Scroll enemies now have significantly more health, allowing you to actually practice full combos and test damage rotations without enemies dying too quickly. This addresses a common complaint that training dummies died before players could properly test their builds.
Mid-Battle Shrine Access: You can now pray at shrines during Training Ground battles—a genuinely helpful addition for testing different builds, switching equipment setups, and experimenting with Guardian Spirits without having to restart the entire training session.
Major Bug Fixes (PS5 & Steam)
Progression-Blocking Issues Resolved:
Eternal Rift Fixes:
- Fixed the notorious “Investigate the building” command bug that completely stopped players from advancing in the Eternal Rift
- Resolved an exploit where players could obtain items despite being unable to progress after certain processes
- These were among the most complained-about issues on Reddit and Steam forums
Mission-Specific Fixes:
- “The Sweet Sound of Strings” mission: Resolved Takasugi Shinsaku getting stuck in the background, making it impossible to complete
- Hamamatsu Castle: Fixed the Guiding Mirror bug preventing players from receiving it from Ii Naotora
- “Fated Land” Myth: Addressed progression issues in the 1572 CE Warring States era content
- “The Demon of the Haunting Caves” Myth: Fixed blocking issues preventing completion
- “True Samurai of Kamakura” Myth: Resolved Kajiwara Kagetoki freezing mid-mission
Valuable Items Recovery:
- Fixed items being lost during Myths under certain conditions
- More importantly, lost valuables can now be recovered when loading affected save data—so if you lost rare drops before this patch, load your save to get them back
Combat and Gameplay Fixes
Weapon Switching Bug: Resolved the frustrating weapon switching issue that occurred when locked onto targets while sheathing weapons. This was particularly annoying during boss fights where quick weapon swaps are essential.
Cestuses (Samurai Weapon) Fixes:
- Fixed multiple Martial Arts issues with the Cestus weapon type
- Corrected Rising Gale triggering the wrong move instead of the intended attack
- Improved hitbox detection for Cestus combos
Switchglaive Exploit Patched: Corrected the Infinite Retribution exploit that allowed players to spam this powerful move indefinitely without Ki cost. While some players enjoyed the power fantasy, this was clearly unintended and broke game balance.
Elixir Healing Bug: Partially fixed the critical bug that prevented healing during battles. Note: This is marked as “partial,” meaning it’s improved but not completely resolved. Team Ninja is likely monitoring for additional edge cases.
Yamainu Combat Improvement: Made attacking Yamainu enemies head-on easier with certain weapon types by adjusting their hitboxes and collision detection.
Multiplayer Improvements
Trophy/Achievement Fix: Fixed the incorrect trophy/achievement unlocking issue where guests (visiting players) would earn host-specific trophies/achievements during Expeditions. This was confusing and frustrating for completionists trying to track their legitimate progress.
Mission Access: Resolved visiting players having access issues for missions they hadn’t completed in their own world.
Kodama Collection: Fixed Kodama (collectible spirits) not properly registering after multiplayer sessions, which was preventing players from achieving 100% completion.
Friend Search (PS5): Corrected the friend search function stopping after extended playtime in multiplayer rooms—a PS5-specific networking issue that made it difficult to find friends during marathon sessions.
Crash and Stability Fixes
Random Crashes: Partially addressed random crashes during gameplay. While not completely eliminated, crash frequency should be significantly reduced. Team Ninja continues monitoring crash reports for future patches.
Equipment Stats Bug: Fixed equipment stats disappearing after Soul Match operations—a critical bug that was destroying carefully crafted builds.
“Deflect Ki Damage” Crash: Corrected a specific crash that occurred when using the General of Ruin armor set bonus with Deflect Ki Damage mechanics.
Battle Scroll Unlocks: Resolved Battle Scrolls not unlocking even when all conditions were properly met.
Mujina Exploit: Fixed the respawning exploit involving Mujina enemies, treasure chests, and shrine save manipulation—an unintended farming method.
Steam-Specific Updates (PC Players)
Automatic Save Backups (HUGE): Steam now automatically generates backup saves when loading save data. This is massive for preventing catastrophic save file corruption or loss. While this runs automatically, manual backups through Steam Cloud are still recommended for extra safety.
Stage Geometry Fix: Resolved stage geometry (walls, floors, objects) not appearing in certain areas, which was causing players to fall through the world or get stuck in invisible walls.
Keyboard/Mouse Control Fix: Fixed keyboard and mouse controls where Flux or Frost Moon abilities would trigger the wrong Martial Arts moves. This was making precise combat nearly impossible for KB/M players.
Why This Patch Matters for the Nioh 3 Community
Nioh 3 currently holds an 86 Metacritic score and sits with “Very Positive” reviews on Steam (81% positive), making it one of the highest-rated releases of 2026 so far. According to Eurogamer’s review, “It feels as though the series, after three iterations, has finally refined its formula to the point of excellence.”
This patch ensures that refined formula actually works as intended, letting players experience the brutal, satisfying combat without technical interruptions getting in the way of what critics are calling potentially Team Ninja’s best game ever.
The Game’s Impressive Launch Context
For perspective on why bug fixes matter so urgently:
- 88,045 peak concurrent Steam players (first weekend)
- 700,000+ copies sold in first four days
- $50 million+ gross revenue in under a week
- Highest Koei Tecmo Steam launch ever
- 86 Metacritic score (beating Nioh 2’s 85)
With numbers like these, every hour that progression blockers exist means thousands of frustrated players potentially abandoning the game. This patch is Team Ninja’s commitment to maintaining that early goodwill.
Quick Tips While Playing Post-Patch
For All Players:
- Test Builds in Training Ground: Now that enemies have more health, you’ll get accurate damage numbers and better practice. Use the new shrine access to experiment freely.
- Check Your Item Box: Before starting Battle Scrolls, verify your inventory to avoid potential shrine menu bugs (though most should be fixed now).
- Multiplayer is Safe: Trophy tracking and progression should work correctly now, so feel free to co-op without worrying about glitched achievements.
- Load Old Saves: If you lost valuable items during Myths before this patch, load those affected saves—your items should be restored.
For Steam Players:
- Automatic Backups Active: Your saves are now backed up automatically, but creating manual Steam Cloud backups before major sessions never hurts.
- KB/M Users: The Flux/Frost Moon input issues are fixed—combat should feel much more responsive now.
- Check Graphics Settings: The stage geometry fixes may affect performance in previously problematic areas.
A Few Things Still Pending
Keep in mind some fixes are labeled as “partial,” meaning they’re improved but not 100% resolved:
- Occasional crashes during gameplay – Frequency reduced but not eliminated
- Elixir usage issues – Some edge cases may still occur during specific combat scenarios
Team Ninja will likely continue monitoring player reports and push additional updates as needed. The studio has a strong track record of post-launch support with previous Nioh titles.
Known Limitation (Cannot Be Fixed Retroactively):
The play record overwrite issue for “Level during first completion” cannot be fixed for already-affected saves. Team Ninja has asked for player understanding on this technical limitation, as the data has been permanently overwritten in certain save files.
What’s Next for Nioh 3?
With the game’s massive success—pulling in nearly 90,000 concurrent players and becoming Team Ninja’s biggest Steam launch ever—expect continued support throughout 2026. The studio hasn’t announced a DLC roadmap yet, but given Nioh 2’s extensive post-launch content (three major DLC expansions), veteran players are optimistic about future expansions.
For now, this patch represents Team Ninja’s commitment to delivering a polished experience worthy of the game’s critical acclaim and commercial success.
Other Major Gaming News This Week
While Nioh 3 dominates the action RPG space, PlayStation had major announcements this week too. Sony shadow-dropped God of War: Sons of Sparta, a surprise 2.5D Metroidvania, while also confirming a full remake of the original Greek trilogy with TC Carson returning as Kratos.
Meanwhile, Square Enix leaks suggest Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 may be coming to Nintendo Switch 2 as a multiplatform release, potentially ending PlayStation exclusivity for the series.
Related Articles:
- God of War: Sons of Sparta Shadow Drop & Greek Trilogy Remake Announced
- Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 Leak: Switch 2 Multiplatform Release
Nioh 3 is available now on PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam. Patch Ver1.03.01 (Update 1.030.010 on PS5) is live as of February 13, 2026.
Have you experienced any of these bugs before the patch? What issues are you still encountering? Share your experiences in the comments below.
