The new entry in the renowned rice-farming RPG series 'Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin', titled 'Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin ~Hinuka Pilgrimage~' (hereinafter 'Hinuka Pilgrimage'), has begun pre-registration in Japan. This game features a unique genre blend of rice cultivation simulation and action-RPG exploration, and is scheduled to be released on PC and mobile platforms.

'Hinuka Pilgrimage' begins as Sakuna and her companions receive a new imperial order to investigate a mysterious archipelago that has suddenly appeared. There, they encounter a new companion named 'Hinukahime', who possesses only faint memories and is searching for her father. Players will work together with these new allies to cultivate rice and carry out missions to uncover the mysteries surrounding the archipelago. The game is based on the world of Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin and carries the subtitle 'A new adventure forged by bonds'.

This title implements more realistic and deepened rice farming compared to the previous game. Farming begins with selecting seeds and assigning characters specialized in rice cultivation. Since the quality of the harvested rice varies depending on the seeds chosen and who performs the farming, trial and error is required. Players can produce over 15 types of rice varieties, including real-world varieties like 'Akitakomachi', 'Koshihikari', and 'Hitomebore', and the game also provides a feature to create new varieties through cross-breeding, just like in reality. More varieties are planned to be added continuously.

Additionally, a new system called 'Rice Spirits' is introduced. Based on the origins and characteristics of the rice varieties, these Rice Spirits can be assigned to the party to provide buffs to allies or attack enemies during combat.

The rice farming environment has also become more sophisticated. Players can set detailed rice farming methods for each season and consume items to change the weather or environment. Since each variety has different environmental conditions for harvesting high-quality rice, various experiments are encouraged. For players who want to enjoy rice farming easily, an 'Auto-Instruction' setting is supported. Rice can be harvested approximately 6 hours after starting the farming process, and it is also possible to shorten the harvest time by consuming items or watching advertisements.

A system to develop a 'Base' has also been introduced to facilitate combat and rice farming. Constructing facilities within the base or leveling them up provides various benefits. In particular, the rice paddies within the base increase in 'Grade' as rice farming is repeated, allowing for the cultivation of higher-quality rice.

Character strengthening is also linked to the harvested rice. Equipping harvested rice to characters enhances them, and the increases in health, attack, and defense vary depending on six quality factors: volume, beauty, taste, aroma, hardness, and stickiness. Items and 'Shinwa' (Mythos) required for character strengthening can be obtained through imperial edicts, and characters can be acquired by exchanging them for in-game currency.

For exploration and combat, players can organize an exploration squad of up to 4 characters and control the squad leader to progress through stages. Players set out for exploration by equipping rice, Shinwa, or Rice Spirits. The controls are designed to be simple and intuitive, allowing movement and attacks with only swipes and taps. Various stage effects will also appear, such as using the 'Tobitsume' (Flying Claw) to cross rivers or avoid falling rocks.

The game will be serviced as a free-to-play title, and mobile pre-registration is currently underway. A Steam page is also planned to be released in the future. While mobile pre-registration is currently limited to Japan, there is a possibility that a domestic service for the mobile version will be conducted after the Steam page is released.

Meanwhile, on the evening of Friday, November 7, the '1st Official Broadcast' was held, featuring appearances by the main voice actors and the development director to deliver the latest information on the game. It was also revealed that the game is targeting a release in February 2026.