Castlevania: Belmont's Curse Demo Lands October 1 on Switch, and Your Save Carries Over

Konami has dated the Castlevania: Belmont's Curse demo: it arrives on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 on October 1, two weeks before the full game. Progress made in the trial carries into the finished release, so the opening hours you play on October 1 are not thrown away when the game launches on October 15.

That save transfer is the part worth planning around. It only works if you buy the full version on the same platform you played the demo on, so a Switch demo save is not going to follow you to a PS5 copy later.

When the Castlevania: Belmont's Curse demo goes live and what it includes

The demo covers the game's opening stretch rather than a sliced-up vertical slice, and Konami has confirmed it for Switch and Switch 2 on October 1. On the original Switch you will need at least 3GB free, and that version targets 30fps. Konami has not said whether the demo also appears on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S or Steam that day, so treat those as unconfirmed for now.

The full game arrives October 15 on Switch, Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC via Steam. Steam's own store page currently lists October 14 for US buyers, which is the usual Pacific-time offset rather than a different release.

Price and editions

Nintendo's US eShop lists the standard version at $29.99 and a Midnight Edition at $39.99. Steam matches the $29.99 standard price. A separate Digital Sound and Art Gallery add-on is also listed for launch day.

• Demo: October 1, free, Switch and Switch 2
• Full game: October 15 on Switch, Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC
• Standard edition: $29.99
• Midnight Edition: $39.99
• Save data: carries from demo to full game on the same platform

Who is making it

Belmont's Curse is a 2D action-exploration game built by Evil Empire and Motion Twin, the studios behind Dead Cells, and published by Konami. The story follows Rose Belmont and is set 23 years after the events of Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, per Konami's own store description.

This is the first new mainline Castlevania in years, and it lands after a rough stretch for the series on other fronts — Konami shut down the mobile spin-off earlier this year, which we covered when Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls ended service. The publisher has been steadily rebuilding its back catalogue since, including the slate it laid out at its Press Start showcase this month.

What Switch and Switch 2 owners should check first

If you are playing on Switch 2, make sure the console is current before October 1. Nintendo's system update 23.0.0 added VRR in TV mode, and it needs a separate dock firmware update to actually take effect. Demos install like any other eShop title, so the 3GB figure is worth checking against your free storage if you are running a base Switch with a small card.

The $29.99 asking price puts it in the same bracket as recent mid-size releases such as Duskfade at $29.99. There is also an eShop discount event running right now — the Nintendo customer appreciation sale runs to September 26, though a pre-order title like this is not part of it.

What is still unconfirmed

Konami has not published a demo file size for Switch 2, has not confirmed frame rates on Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X|S or PC, and has not said how long the demo stays up after the full game launches. Nothing about the demo being timed or platform-exclusive has been stated either way. Anything beyond the October 1 date, the Switch and Switch 2 platforms, and the save carryover is not official yet.