The highly anticipated PC release of Team Ninja and Koei Tecmo's Rise of the Ronin has been marred by significant technical problems. Players are reporting widespread loss of save data, with some losing hours of progress.  The issues appear to affect both Steam cloud saves and manual saves, leaving players frustrated and concerned.

The action RPG, set in 19th-century Japan, launched on PC on March 11, 2025, promising features like ultra-wide aspect ratio support, 8K resolution, and 120 FPS, along with ray tracing and frame generation.  However, these features are overshadowed by the current technical issues.

The game, which follows the story of the Blade Twins during Japan's Edo period, was initially released in 2024 as a collaboration between Sony and Koei Tecmo.  It was positioned as a major title, joining the ranks of other acclaimed open-world samurai games like Ghost of Tsushima, Like a Dragon: Ishin!, and Way of the Samurai 4.

Following reports of vanishing save files and error codes within the game’s Steam discussions, Koei Tecmo acknowledged the issues and confirmed they are investigating.  The development team has offered temporary workarounds, such as changing the file sharing folder, utilizing backup save data, and ensuring Steam cloud activation.

Beyond save game issues, performance and optimization problems further complicate the PC port's launch.  These issues add to a pattern of suboptimal PC releases from Team Ninja, impacting the overall player experience. This unfortunate launch coincides with the release of Assassin's Creed Shadows, adding another layer of challenge to the game's visibility and success.

Prior to the PC launch, Rise of the Ronin received a major update on PlayStation 5, which was its exclusive platform until recently.  The update included five new Ally Missions, level syncing for Testament of the Soul, two additional set bonuses for the Midnight difficulty, and the ability to adjust Public Order and reset enemy camps in the Midnight difficulty.

While the PlayStation 5 update addressed several areas, the current PC issues pose a more significant challenge.  Resolving these problems will be critical to restoring player confidence and ensuring the long-term success of the PC port.  The initial promise of a high-quality PC experience is currently overshadowed by the ongoing technical difficulties.