Bandai Namco has added Naruto Uzumaki in Sage Mode to Shinobi Striker through a free update. Here is what the DLC includes, who can use it, and how current players should approach the new Attack Type tools.
Image: epicdope.com
Sage Mode Naruto is live as a free Shinobi Striker update
Bandai Namco has added Naruto Uzumaki (Sage Mode) to Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker, and the key detail for active players is the price: this character is playable through a free update. Bandai Namco Europe announced on August 28, 2026 that Naruto Uzumaki in Sage Mode has joined the game, while Siliconera reports that the character is live for everyone who owns Shinobi Striker.
That makes this release different from the usual calculus around Shinobi Striker’s character training packs. The game has been running for years on a mix of paid season-pass content, individual DLC, scroll rotations, and limited-time campaigns. Here, the new Naruto Uzumaki Sage Mode Shinobi Striker character is not being framed by Bandai Namco as a paid individual purchase. If you own the game on a supported platform, the character is part of the update.
The immediate tension is competitive rather than financial. A free Attack Type character means a much larger share of the active player base can test the same tools at the same time. When a new kit is gated behind a purchase, early matchups often involve a smaller pool of users and uneven matchup knowledge. With free Shinobi Striker DLC, the lab work starts server-wide.
What the Sage Naruto DLC includes
Bandai Namco Europe says Naruto Uzumaki (Sage Mode) arrives with new ninjutsu inspired by his Sage Mode techniques. The two named ninjutsu are Frog Kumite and Nature Energy: Concentration, both assigned to Attack Type. His Secret Technique is Tailed Beast State: Nine Tails, which Bandai Namco describes as letting players unleash the power of the Nine-Tailed Fox in battle.
Siliconera’s report matches those core gameplay additions and adds that Bandai Namco’s trailer shows Naruto performing the new ninjutsu and Secret Technique. For players, the important label is Attack Type. Shinobi Striker’s class structure means this version of Naruto is being added to the game’s most pressure-oriented role, the one usually judged by approach safety, ability to confirm damage, chase potential, and how well a kit forces defensive resources.
The DLC package also includes avatar rewards. Bandai Namco Europe lists Naruto outfit: Hokage Cloak version for male and female avatars, Naruto’s wallet as an accessory, Naruto and Minato hairstyles without headbands, Naruto’s scroll as a weapon, and an honorary title. The official Bandai Namco Europe page appears to truncate the title as “Her,” while Siliconera lists the honorary title as “Hero,” so players should treat the in-game listing as the final authority once the update is installed.
Who can claim Naruto Uzumaki Sage Mode
The confirmed platform list has not changed. Bandai Namco Europe says Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker is available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, and Siliconera reports that the free Naruto Uzumaki (Sage Mode) character is live for everyone with the game. GamersHeroes also describes the release as a free update for Bandai Namco’s title.
There is no source material here indicating a PS5, Xbox Series X|S, or Nintendo Switch native release tied to this DLC. The practical reading is simple: if you are playing Shinobi Striker on one of the supported versions listed by Bandai Namco, update the game and check the new content in-game. The official Shinobi Striker site also notes that the game has been updated to version 2.71, which is the patch context Bandai Namco links alongside this news.
The Steam store page included in the source material shows Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker discounted at 75 percent off, and Bandai Namco US promoted that same limited-time discount in a post quoted by GamersHeroes. That sale is separate from the free DLC. New PC players still need to own the base game, but they do not need to buy a separate Sage Naruto DLC pack based on Bandai Namco’s announcement.
The Attack Type kit changes the first-week meta test
Bandai Namco has not published frame data in the provided material, so there is no responsible way to call Frog Kumite safe, plus, invulnerable, or combo-guaranteed yet. What we can say is that both regular ninjutsu being Attack Type moves immediately makes Naruto Uzumaki (Sage Mode) relevant to players who live by tempo. In Shinobi Striker terms, Attack Type tools are judged less by animation flash and more by whether they win scrambles, secure knockdowns, punish substitutions, or start reliable team damage.
Frog Kumite is the move to test first because a close-range Sage Mode strike, if it functions as a fast check or confirm tool, can shift how Attack players contest point fights. Nature Energy: Concentration needs a different kind of lab work. The name suggests a self-focused or resource-style technique, but the source material only confirms the name and class type, not its exact properties. Until players verify cooldowns, activation vulnerability, tracking, armor interaction, and cancel routes in matches, any stronger claim would be speculation.
Tailed Beast State: Nine Tails is the headline Secret Technique, but ultimates are only as good as their setup routes and real hit rate. Current players should test whether the new ninjutsu create dependable Secret Technique confirms, whether teammates can force opponents into its active area, and whether common defensive options can escape. Free access means that information should spread quickly.
The update is tied to scroll changes and the 8th anniversary event
The Sage Naruto DLC lands alongside a broader live-service beat. Bandai Namco Europe says the Scroll Lineup has been updated with two weapons: Nine tails’ claw and Water sword: Tobirama Senju. Siliconera also says the trailer confirms Esoteric Scroll updates for Nine Tails’ Claw and Water Sword: Tobirama Senju, while highlighting the 8th anniversary Celebratory Outfit: Multilayered costume.
For active players, this is where the update becomes a resource decision. Bandai Namco Europe says the 8th anniversary campaign is live until September 24 and includes events such as Weapon & Ninja Tool Trial and Ninjutsu Trial campaigns. The same announcement says players can join weekly battles and receive a login bonus of 50 Esoteric Scrolls and 50 Valuable Scrolls.
That matters because new character access is only one layer of Shinobi Striker’s update economy. A free character gets everyone into training mode, but scroll-lineup weapons can affect matchmaking in a different way, especially when players are chasing SS+ weapon power. If you care about ranked consistency, log in for the scrolls before worrying about cosmetic completion. If you only want Sage Naruto, the character itself is the cleaner claim.
Season Pass 10 continues around the free release
Siliconera places Naruto Uzumaki (Sage Mode) after Jiraya (Sage Mode), which it says launched in May 2026 and kicked off Season Pass 10. The Steam listing cited by Siliconera is for the NTBSS Master Character Training Pack: Jiraiya (Sage Mode). Siliconera also reports that Kabuto Yakushi (Sage Mode) is planned for Fall 2026, and Bandai Namco’s trailer briefly teases that character at the end.
Bandai Namco Europe separately says a season pass bonus will be available that unlocks a secret ninjutsu usable for both Attack and Defense: Majestic Attire: Sesano’o. The source material does not say that this bonus is part of the free Naruto update for all players, so it should be treated as separate from the confirmed free Sage Naruto character.
That distinction is useful for players deciding whether to spend. The free Sage Naruto DLC lets every owner test a new Attack Type master and claim the listed avatar parts. Season Pass 10 remains the track to watch if you want the surrounding premium character ecosystem and the pass bonus Bandai Namco described.
Best first steps for current players
If you already play Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker, update to the current version, claim Naruto Uzumaki (Sage Mode), and take the kit into controlled testing before forcing it into serious matches. Start with cooldown timing, hit consistency after light-string routes, substitution baiting, and whether Frog Kumite or Nature Energy: Concentration leaves you punishable on block or whiff. None of those details are confirmed in the announcements, but they are the questions that decide whether a new Attack Type pick becomes a mainstay or a week-one novelty.
Use the anniversary window efficiently. Bandai Namco Europe confirms the campaign runs until September 24 and includes 50 Esoteric Scrolls plus 50 Valuable Scrolls as a login bonus, so even players who are only mildly curious should log in while the bonus is active. The updated scroll lineup also gives weapon-focused players a reason to check their inventory and event schedule.
For lapsed players, the strongest reason to return is the low friction. Bandai Namco says Sage Mode Naruto is free, the game remains available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, and the Steam page shows a 75 percent discount in the current sale context. The unanswered competitive question is whether the Sage Naruto DLC gives Attack Type a durable new route or simply a popular new skin for familiar pressure. Because everyone can access it, the answer should arrive in matchmaking fast.