Konami Files New Trademarks For Silent Hill And Castlevania In Japan

New trademarks filed by Konami have once again stirred hope that the Japanese video game publisher intends to resurrect some fan favorites.

As reported by Gematsu, now-public filings for Metal Gear Rising and Castlevania (referred to as Akumajou Dracula in Japan) were registered on April 6th of this year, spurring speculation on social media that the company is gearing up to make an announcement. With no other information available, it’s impossible to discern the purpose of these recent actions, though where the former is concerned, we’re willing to hazard a guess that PlatinumGames’ hack and slash spinoff is in the running for a next-gen port or something similar.

Released in 2013 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC, Rising takes place four years after Metal Gear Solid 4 and sees Raiden, now a cyborg, tasked with hunting down and eliminating Desperado Enforcement, a rogue private military group responsible for leading a coup in Abkhazia.

Castlevania‘s mention, on the other hand, is a little trickier to account for. MercurySteam’s 2014 sequel to the original Lords of Shadow remains the most recent entry to date, with Konami having placed the series on indefinite hiatus following that game’s middling reception. In this case, the lack of any subtitle could be taken as an indication of a reboot, but it’s simply too early to make such a call.

For now, then, fans of the dark fantasy franchise will have to satisfy their bloodlust for more Castlevania with Netflix’s animated TV adaptation. The fourth and final season releases next month and will see the return of Simon Belmont, Sypha and Alucard as they attempt to restore peace in a world overrun by demons and monsters. Head through here for more details.