What to know
- Unlock Shogun’s Journey by beating the final boss after all three time periods, keeping your levels, gear, and skills.
- Enemies hit harder with more HP and new placements, but Divine gear drops with four affixes and random set bonuses.
- Switch freely between Heir’s Journey and Shogun’s Journey on the map, resetting shrines and story in NG+.
- Farm enhanced Crucibles and Wraiths for extra Spirit Force and better loot using special sands.
Nioh 3‘s New Game Plus, known as Shogun’s Journey, ramps up the challenge while introducing powerful gear and systems for endgame mastery. You retain everything from your first run, making it a true test of build optimization rather than starting over.
| Aspect | Heir’s Journey | Shogun’s Journey |
|---|---|---|
| Equipment Level Cap | 155 | 170 |
| Weapon Upgrade Max | +5 | +15 |
| Guardian Spirit Level | 25 | 30 |
| Soul Core Rarity | Standard | Rare (Blue), Exotic (Purple) |
| New Gear Tier | None | Divine (Green, 4 affixes) |
| Enemy Difficulty | Base | Higher HP, damage, new types |
How to unlock Shogun’s Journey
Finish the main story by clearing missions across all three eras and defeating the final boss. A pop-up confirms access, and you select it from the map screen anytime. Fast travel after switching to load the new world state, where shrines reset per story progress but the full map stays visible with prior marks.
Key changes in Shogun’s Journey
Enemies gain more health, deal heavier damage, and appear in fresh spots, including early late-game threats. You keep all progression, so focus on adapting your stance switches and combos to their buffs like stronger Ki recovery. Higher rarity drops make farming worthwhile, especially for soul cores with locked affixes via new transformations.
Divine gear and upgrades
Divine items, marked green, drop with four special effects and random Grace set bonuses for massive power spikes. Weapons and armor upgrade to +15, with crafted caps at 160 and drops at 170. Disassemble extras for materials and reforge at the blacksmith, using filters to sort by rarity or affixes.
How to handle Crucibles and Wraiths
Lesser Crucibles, Crucible Wraiths, and Enemy Bases reset in NG+. Clear them for bonus Spirit Force to expand your gauge and boost Guardian Spirit skills.
Step 1: Locate resets
Check the map for glowing icons in missions; they appear enhanced with tougher enemies.
Step 2: Complete for rewards
Defeat spikes or wraiths inside to gain Spirit Force permanently and loot rare cores.
Step 3: Use sands to repeat
Earn Scarlet Sands of Despair from Battle Scrolls or Sands of Recollection to restore them. Apply at shrines for replays and more gains.
| Reward Type | Source | Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Spirit Force | Crucible Spikes/Wraiths | Larger gauge, stronger skills |
| Divine Gear | Mission drops | 4 affixes + Grace bonus |
| Rare Soul Cores | Wraiths/Bases | Blue/Purple rarities |
| Materials | Disassembly | Reforging/upgrades |
| Gold | Tea House donations | Buy consumables |
Sudama’s blessing and soul cores
Pray at a shrine after revisiting Escape From Hitokoto Slope to access Sudama’s Blessing. Spend Ochoko Cups to boost drops for specific gear. Transform soul cores with Soul Fragments: pick an effect to swap, or refresh options—but no undo, so choose wisely.
Build tips for success
Prioritize Divine sets like Benzaiten for bonuses, light armor for mobility if you’re stance-switching often, or heavy for tanking hits. Max Ki damage on foes quickly, as NG+ enemies regenerate it faster. Experiment with Yasakani Magatama, but note it doesn’t stack across pieces.
Mastering the endgame grind
Locations like enhanced bases and crucibles scatter across eras, often near prior shrines for quick access. Farm scrolls for sands to loop rewards without full mission reruns. Auto-dispose junk at the blacksmith to manage inventory.
Push through Shogun’s Journey to unlock peak power and true mastery, blending brutal combat with rewarding progression.
