Devil May Cry 5 is a 2019 action-adventure game created and released by Capcom. It is the sixth game in the series overall and the fifth main game in the Devil May Cry series. The story follows characters Nero and Dante, who return to help a mysterious person named V stop the Demon King Urizen. Players can control Nero, Dante, and V, each with unique ways to play.

The game was directed by Hideaki Itsuno, who wanted this version to be his best work. He aimed to make the game enjoyable for both new players and fans of the series by offering different difficulty levels. Capcom also wanted to create more realistic characters using a design style from their earlier game, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. Real people were used to design the characters’ faces. The story was written by Bingo Morihashi, who worked on previous games. The game’s setting is based on real places in London. Several composers created the game’s music, including three main themes focused on the main characters.

Devil May Cry 5 was released on March 8, 2019, for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One. Critics gave the game good reviews, praising the gameplay and the way the story was told. It won many awards and sold over two million copies in less than two weeks. By December 2024, sales reached 9.9 million, making it the franchise’s best-selling game. A light novel and manga related to the game have also been released.

A special edition, Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition, was released in November 2020 for Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5, adding Vergil as a playable character. Players on PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One could buy Vergil as extra content. An Amazon Luna version came out on December 9, 2021.

Gameplay

The game includes the return of Dante and Nero as playable characters, along with a new character named V. The gameplay is similar to other games in the Devil May Cry series, focusing on fast and stylish action. Players fight groups of demons using different attacks and weapons. A style rating is given based on factors like the variety of moves, the length of a combo, and how often the player dodges attacks. The game’s music changes depending on how well the player performs in combat. When interacting with a character named Nico or finding a statue, players can purchase new abilities for each character. Although there are three playable characters, the game requires the player to use only one character per mission. Like previous games, this title includes a Bloody Palace mode where players can battle many types of demons in one area.

Nero, first introduced in Devil May Cry 4, uses his Red Queen sword for close combat and his Blue Rose double-barreled revolver. He does not start with his Devil Bringer, but instead has new robotic arms called Devil Breakers. These arms can grab enemies from a distance or stop time to freeze enemies. Nero can find Devil Breakers during missions. These arms are strong but can be destroyed if used carelessly. Later in the story, Nero regains his Devil Bringer and gains access to a powerful state called Devil Trigger, which lets him transform into a demonic form and improve his combat abilities.

Dante plays similarly to his portrayal in Devil May Cry 4, allowing him to switch between four styles to create new techniques or block attacks. He uses his signature sword, Rebellion, and the Demonic Devil Sword Sparda. He also has three new Devil Arms: a pair of buzzsaw-like weapons that combine into a motorcycle called Cavaliere, and fiery gauntlets and boots named Balrog. Dante also wields King Cerberus, an upgraded version of the Cerberus nunchaku from Devil May Cry 3. He wears a hat called Dr. Faust, which uses Red orbs to attack, requiring players to balance risk and reward. Dante can use the Kalina Ann rocket launcher from Devil May Cry 3, the improved Kalina Ann 2, or both at the same time. In addition to Devil Trigger, which boosts his abilities and restores his health, Dante has a stronger form called Sin Devil Trigger that introduces new attack methods.

The third playable character is V, who mainly uses three demon familiars in battle. Griffon is an eagle that attacks with lightning, Shadow is a panther that creates blades, spikes, and portals, and Nightmare is a large golem. V enters a Devil Trigger-like state, turning his hair white, to summon Nightmare, who uses melee attacks and laser beams. V’s familiars cannot kill enemies; when their health turns light purple, V can destroy them with a final strike using his cane.

Vergil returns as a playable character in the game’s Special Edition. He retains his playstyle from the fourth game’s Special Edition, including the Concentration gauge mechanic and his weapons. The Force Edge from previous Special Editions is replaced with Mirage Edge, an ethereal sword that Vergil uses as a projectile. He gains a new ability to transform into V and summon his three familiars for powerful attacks. Instead of entering his regular Devil Trigger form, Vergil immediately enters his Sin Devil Trigger form. His original Devil Trigger is replaced with Doppelganger, a spectral copy of his Sin Devil Trigger form that mirrors his attacks using the Yamato sword. This mechanic was first introduced in Devil May Cry 3 as Dante’s Doppelganger Style and later used for Vergil in DmC: Devil May Cry reboot.

Plot

After the events of Devil May Cry 4, Nero works as a demon hunter for Dante's Devil May Cry agency alongside his friend, gunsmith Nico Goldstein. One afternoon, Nero is at the agency when a man in a hooded cloak enters. Nero offers the stranger food, but the man suddenly removes his demonic arm, which changes into a sword called Yamato. The stranger uses the sword to open a portal and leaves.

Three days later, a man named V hires Dante and his team to defeat a powerful demon named Urizen. The group travels to Red Grave City, where they discover a demonic tree called Qliphoth planted in the city. The tree kills people by taking their blood. Nero, working alone, is also targeted by V because of his connection to Urizen. Dante's team fights Urizen, but Urizen becomes stronger with the help of Qliphoth and defeats Nero when he tries to help. Dante stops Urizen from capturing Nero but is knocked out and thrown from Qliphoth. His sword, Rebellion, is broken, and his allies Lady and Trish are captured to be used as demon-cores. V convinces the weakened Nero to escape.

One month later, Nero returns to Red Grave City with a new prosthetic arm called "Devil Breaker," created by Nico. Nero meets V, who is searching for Qliphoth's fruit, which is made from condensed human blood and gives the person who eats it power over the Underworld. As they destroy Qliphoth's roots, Nero rescues Lady while V searches for the Devil Sword Sparda and finds Dante, who has been hidden by the sword.

After waking from a coma, Dante frees Trish and fights his way to Urizen. Trish learns from V that Urizen is the demon side of Dante's brother, Vergil, who used Yamato's power to separate his human and demon halves. The human half became V, whose body is breaking down. Dante realizes Yamato can separate humanity and demons and wonders if his sword, Rebellion, has hidden power. After stabbing himself with his broken Rebellion, Dante unlocks his full demonic power and a new weapon, the "Devil Sword Dante," by combining Rebellion and Sparda. Nero tries to fight Urizen again but is defeated. Dante rescues Nero and defeats Urizen with his new powers. Urizen leaves to eat the fruit of Qliphoth to gain more strength. While Dante arrives first to face Urizen, Nero saves V from the demon Malphas and learns about Dante's past with Vergil. Nero and V reach Dante just as he defeats Urizen, but V, who is dying, merges with Urizen before Dante can finish him, bringing back Vergil.

Vergil returns to the top of Qliphoth, telling Dante to regain his strength before their next fight. Nero insists on fighting Vergil himself, but Dante reveals that Vergil is Nero's father and refuses to let Nero kill him. Dante fights V's familiars, who are memories of Vergil's past life as Nelo Angelo, and they choose to die to ease Vergil's pain.

Dante and Vergil fight again, and Vergil learns that Nero is his unintended son. Nero calls Kyrie and decides not to let his father and uncle die, fully awakening his demonic powers and regrowing his arm. He interrupts the fight, forces Dante aside, and defeats Vergil, who gives Nero V's book as a gift. Vergil joins Dante in a one-way trip to the Underworld to destroy Qliphoth and seal the portal before it destroys Red Grave City and merges the Demon World with the Human World. Nero leaves as Qliphoth falls.

Weeks later, Trish and Lady are hired for a new job by Dante's agent, Morrison, who was left in charge of Dante's office. In the Underworld, Dante and Vergil continue to fight demons together, now as friendly rivals instead of enemies.

Development

In 2013, Hideaki Itsuno, who has directed the Devil May Cry games since the second game, said he wanted to make a fifth game in the series. People thought the series might stop or end if Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition did not sell well. However, in an interview with GameSpot, Itsuno said this was not true. He said Capcom was happy with the sales of Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition and DmC: Devil May Cry. In January 2016, Itsuno tweeted that he was working on a project that was still a secret. In March, Reuben Langdon and Johnny Yong Bosch, who voiced Dante and Nero in Devil May Cry 4, took photos wearing motion capture gear, which made people guess a new game was being made. Capcom Vancouver replied on Twitter, saying, "It's not a game we have announced that we are working on at this studio." On May 17, 2018, someone registered the website "DevilMayCry5.com" under Capcom's domain. Devil May Cry 5 was announced at E3 2018 for release in 2019. Capcom confirmed the release date as March 2019, and a demo was available in August 2018 at Gamescom. It was later sold on PlayStation Store and Xbox Live.

The game was planned to be announced in 2017 but was delayed to be released with the Resident Evil 2 remake. It was developed by Capcom Dev Studio 1, which also worked on Dragon's Dogma and Devil May Cry. The team aimed to create the best action game of the Heisei period. A secret message was hidden in the first trailer for fans. The game was made by a studio in Osaka, Japan, and uses the RE Engine, first used in Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. Many team members had worked on Resident Evil 7 and were familiar with the engine. Itsuno said he was influenced by Monster Hunter World's welcoming style for new players and wanted to create a high skill level for fans. Some staff had worked on DmC: Devil May Cry, but the Osaka team wanted to continue the main series. The team listened to fan feedback, such as adding an "auto" mode for easier combos.

Itsuno said Devil May Cry 4 was not well-suited for its generation of consoles, so he wanted to make this game better with more content to attract more players, including fans of Devil May Cry 4. However, the story focused on Dante, Nero, and V, so Lady and Trish could not be playable again. The "Son of Sparda" difficulty mode was updated to include challenges like parrying attacks and defeating enemies in one counterattack. Boss fights, like Goliath's, were improved. Itsuno wanted more responsive controls to make characters move like humans. A movie about robots combining into one giant bot inspired him to create similar moments. He also wanted the game to feel like a Hollywood movie, like Marvel's Avengers series.

Dante and Nero's actors, Reuben Langdon and Johnny Yong Bosch, said they were happy with the game. Their characters used different mechanics than in Devil May Cry 4. Itsuno said mastering Dante's skills would be harder due to his multiple modes and weapons. The game includes a "Cameo System" for online multiplayer with up to three players, depending on the mission. In April 2019, Capcom's Matt Walker said Vergil would not be a playable character, disappointing fans.

The game's main theme is "love," something Capcom wanted to include since the first game. Itsuno aimed for "photo-realistic" graphics, targeting 60 frames per second on all platforms. Developers scanned models and used real clothes made in London and scanned in Serbia. The RE Engine helped create a more realistic story than previous games. The main location was modeled after London, with research trips to places like Midhurst, Rochester, Canterbury, and Leeds Castle. Art director Koki Kinoshita said character designs were slightly changed to fit their personalities. V had nearly 20 different appearances. Designs were inspired by Carol Christian Poell, Daniel Craig, and Benedict Cumberbatch.

Itsuno wanted a villain that Dante and Nero would not take lightly. Vergil was chosen because of his power and connection to the protagonists. The climax includes a major emotional scene where Nero stops Dante and Vergil's fight by awakening his demon powers. Nero's gameplay emphasizes his anger at Dante's treatment of him early in the game. His new powers near the end add replay value and highlight his strength. Capcom used an older version of Nero to make him "at the top of his game." Each character is modeled after an actor for realism.

Dante is described as more mature but still wants to protect humanity and honor his father, Sparda. His moves are similar to his Devil May Cry 3 style. The new villain, Urizen, is meant to remind players of the original Demon King from 2001. Itsuno said Urizen is the strongest enemy in the series, sitting on his throne most of the time.

New character V is the opposite of Nero and Dante, as he does not use weapons. Itsuno was happy fans liked him.

Release

Devil May Cry 5 was released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on 8 March 2019. Players who bought the deluxe edition of the game could access additional content. This included the Cavaliere R weapon for Dante, new cutscenes and announcer options, battle music from the first four Devil May Cry titles, and four Devil Breaker weapons for Nero, including a Mega Buster based on Mega Man 11. These items were available for purchase separately as downloadable content within weeks of the game's release. A wave-based survival mode, Bloody Palace, was released as a free update on 1 April 2019. In Japan, three limited releases of the game included replicas of jackets worn by Dante, Nero, or V. An Amazon Luna version of the game was announced and released during the 2021 Game Awards.

Bingo Morihashi, the game's writer, created a prequel novel titled Devil May Cry 5: Before the Nightmare. It was released in Japan on 1 March 2019, one week before the game's release. A spin-off manga centered around V was also released. Titled Devil May Cry 5: Visions of V, it was written by Tomio Ogata and serialized on Line Manga from 7 March 2019 to 19 March 2022. Its 50 chapters were collected into five physical tankōbon volumes, with the first volume released on 15 November 2019, and the final volume released on 15 July 2022.

During the September 2020 PlayStation 5 showcase, Capcom announced an expanded version called Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition. It was released as a digital-only launch title for the Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 in November 2020. A physical version was released the following month. Because of better hardware, it features improved visuals and gameplay at up to 120 frames per second. Alongside all previously released downloadable content, other additions include Vergil as a playable character, ray tracing graphics options, and two additional game modes: Legendary Dark Knight mode, which increases the number of enemies in each level, and Turbo mode, which increases the game speed by 20%. Turbo mode was previously included in Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition and Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition. Players who own the original version of Devil May Cry 5 can also purchase Vergil separately as downloadable content.

Including Vergil as a playable character was something the team wanted to do from the start of the Special Edition idea. Vergil's new battle theme, titled "Bury the Light," was composed by Casey Edwards with vocals performed by Victor Borba. Edwards stated that the song was meant to reflect Nero's battle theme, "Devil Trigger," as he saw Nero as a reflection of Vergil. According to Edwards, "Nero chose to 'embrace the darkness' within and accept his demon side. Vergil has always tried to bury his humanity as it is a great source of personal pain and memory of weakness."

Reception

After the 2018 Tokyo Game Show, Devil May Cry 5 received the Future Division award from the Japan Game Awards. Some players and critics were concerned about the game’s optional in-game purchases, which let players buy red orbs to upgrade characters. Capcom stated that these purchases do not change the game’s designed progression system and are similar to those in Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition.

Devil May Cry 5 received mostly positive reviews from critics, as reported by Metacritic. Reviewers praised the gameplay and characters. PC Gamer UK called it "one of the best games about fighting demons." They noted the characters’ unique fighting styles and how the game rewards creative combat. USgamer said it was one of the strongest games in the series, adding that while the reboot by Ninja Theory was enjoyable, Devil May Cry 5 stayed true to the series’ core gameplay and character handling. VideoGamer.com highlighted the game’s gameplay and its creative use of a London-based setting. The Guardian gave it a perfect score, noting that new players could quickly learn the game’s stylish combat system. GameSpot appreciated the depth of gameplay, especially the changes to Nero’s abilities, allowing different Devil Breaker techniques. Destructoid praised the variety of enemies and boss fights, saying Capcom improved on criticism of Devil May Cry 4 by adding more stages.

Several critics focused on the increased number of moves available to the three main characters. The Daily Telegraph praised the characters’ mechanics, especially V’s, for playing differently from Nero and Dante while remaining entertaining. GamesRadar noted the variety of combat styles each character has, even though Dante’s style was similar to his earlier games. GameSpot said Nero was easy for newcomers to enjoy, while V’s unique techniques were impressive. IGN liked Nero’s new abilities from his mechanical arms, such as shooting to attack enemies. They said Dante’s new weapons were more enjoyable than his previous ones, though his character was similar to earlier games. V was praised for how he interacts with demons during fights. Destructoid said Dante and V were the most polished characters to play, while Game Informer criticized the need to earn new powers when switching between characters.

The game’s story and characters were also praised. IGN said the mysterious plot kept the game interesting, though the overall story was not very entertaining. They noted the characters’ development, even if the story was not deep. The Guardian liked the plot, even though it was simple, and praised Dante’s portrayal as older but still playful. PC Gamer enjoyed the characters’ stories but was disappointed by some cutscenes and the character Nico. GamesRadar said newcomers might not fully understand the plot and found the ending rushed. VideoGamer.com criticized the story and villain as dull, despite some interesting moments.

At launch, the PlayStation 4 version of the game in Western countries included a lens flare that hid brief nudity. Some journalists called this censorship and said the change was part of a patch. IGN noted another character was also censored in all Western versions. In April 2019, Push Square reported the lens flare was removed in North America but remained in Europe.

In Japan, Devil May Cry 5 sold about 116,202 physical copies, or 75.75% of its initial shipment, making it the top-selling game during its launch week. Though it sold fewer units than Devil May Cry 4, it outperformed the reboot DmC. In the United Kingdom, it sold 20,872 physical copies, becoming Capcom’s second best-selling game in the country in 2019 after Resident Evil 2. At the 2019 Game Developers Conference, Itsuno said the game sold over 2 million units within two weeks of its release. By September 2019, it had sold over 2.7 million units worldwide. By September 2020, sales reached 3.9 million units, making it the best-selling game in the series. By April 2022, 5 million units had been sold, not counting the Special Edition version. By October 2022, sales reached 6 million units. By January 2023, the game had sold 6.5 million units. By December 2024, the original release sold 8.9 million units, with the Special Edition adding 1 million more, totaling 9.9 million units. On June 13, 2025, Capcom announced that as of March 31, 2025, the game had sold 10 million units. In the first half of the 2025 fiscal year, Devil May Cry 5 was Capcom’s best-selling game, outperforming newer titles like Monster Hunter Wilds.