Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections Gets Surprise New Release

She’s been part of the story for a while now, pulling strings from the shadows of a plot that put the whole ninja world at risk. Up until now, however, you could only watch her, not play as her. And Bandai Namco has altered that with a new free update for Naruto X Boruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections.

The big surprise of the latest Naruto X Boruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections update is that Nanashi Uchiha is finally a playable character. If you haven’t had time to play the game yet, it combines two ways to enjoy the Naruto universe. History Mode retells the core story of Naruto in a condensed form, while Special Story Mode follows an original narrative centered on Boruto. On top of that, the game supports online battles with a roster of more than 130 shinobi, which the developers say is the largest cast the series has ever offered.

Nanashi’s backstory is where things get interesting: She awakened her Mangekyo Sharingan while still young, which made her valuable to the Uchiha Clan as a kind of living weapon because of how powerful her eye techniques are. Her rough upbringing left her disillusioned with the shinobi world, and that resentment eventually got exploited by the criminal group known as Zero, who pulled her into their scheme to bring the ninja world down.

For some part of the story, she is an undercover guide character in a game called Ninja Heroes, where she meets Boruto. Their bond grows stronger with time, although her involvement in Zero’s plan eventually contributes to the threat of the Fifth Great Ninja War. Eventually, Boruto figures out who she really is, what she’s been a part of, and tries to talk her down. But the two ultimately end up butting heads directly.

Gameplay-wise, Nanashi uses Fire Style techniques, which suit her Uchiha heritage, and eye-based jutsu like Tsukuyomi and Flame Control. Once she powers up, her Mangekyo Sharingan and a special ability called Yachihoko come into play, giving her extra tools to control opponents mid-fight. Yachihoko marks surrounding enemies and allows Nanashi to use their Chakra to activate ninjutsu, while Tsukuyomi slows opponents it hits.

The new Naruto X Boruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections update isn’t just about Nanashi, though. Ninja Battle, a team-based event mode that had been suspended, is back. The developers also raised the proficiency level cap from 99 to 130, so players have more room to grow their favorite characters, and they’re running Proficiency Events that let players earn proficiency points faster—10 times, to be precise. A new Special Challenges system has been added too, letting players unlock titles by completing skill-based tasks. Beyond that, the team made balance changes across the roster and the wider battle system, with full patch notes available on the official game site.

Looking ahead, Bandai Namco has confirmed more free updates for Naruto X Boruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections. These are planned for winter and next spring, and the spring update will include yet another new playable character, though they haven’t said who that will be. Additional online features are also planned for the winter update.

For anyone looking to purchase it now, the digital version of Naruto X Boruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections is currently discounted on the Nintendo eShop, PlayStation Store, and Xbox Store, though sale windows differ by platform.