Nioh 3
Nioh 3 Enlightened One's Journey: how to unlock the new difficulty
Enlightened One's Journey is Nioh 3's new difficulty above Shogun's Journey. Team NINJA says it unlocks after you complete Shogun's Journey; it raises the ceiling with stronger equipment, additional Soul Cores, higher character levels and higher +value caps through Soul Matching.
How to unlock it#
- Finish the main progression needed to enter Shogun's Journey.
- Complete Shogun's Journey, not merely one mission on that difficulty.
- Install the Hell Rising content/update and return to the difficulty selection screen.
If the option is missing, confirm the DLC is installed under the same platform account and region as the base game, then reload your cleared save. Team NINJA notes that the full game and progress to certain points are required for DLC features.
What changes#
The official description confirms more than an enemy-stat increase: the mode adds stronger equipment, more Soul Cores, a higher level cap and a higher Soul Matching +value ceiling. That makes it the progression destination for an established endgame build, not the best place to learn a weapon from scratch.
Hell Rising also adds repeatable Hundred Demon Realms Picture Scroll battles with selectable effects and special rules. These can be played solo or in multiplayer, giving endgame characters another equipment and challenge loop.
Before entering, review the practical differences between the Hoko & Shield styles and the 1651 Edo setting. The Nioh 3 guide hub collects future DLC updates.
Source check#
Verified August 7, 2026 against Team NINJA's official Hell Rising DLC page and PC Gamer's DLC summary.