Serious Sam is turning 25, and the classic run-and-gun series is celebrating with a massive curveball. Publisher Devolver Digital and Dead by Daylight developer Behaviour Interactive are teaming up for Serious Sam: Shatterverse. Instead of the usual linear shooting gallery, this new spin-off plunges you straight into the unpredictable, fast-paced world of co-op roguelites. Who knew this could happen? And, most importantly, is this the right game for you?
Core Features
- Five-Player Co-Op: Squad up with up to four other friends, each playing as a different version of Sam from across the multiverse.
- Procedural Arenas: Fight through unpredictable, shifting levels set across a variety of handcrafted alien worlds.
- Risk and Reward: Jump into hidden portals and unstable anomalies to score massive upgrades, but be careful not to ruin your run.
- Crazy Arsenal: Mix and match iconic classic firearms with weird, brand-new weapons pulled from alternate dimensions.
- Permanent Progression: Unlock lasting upgrades and game-changing modifiers so you come back stronger after every death.
Sam, but from a different angle
The story kicks off when Sam’s classic villain, Mental, manages to literally break the walls between dimensions. To fix the fractured timeline, up to five players can group up as different alternate-universe versions of Sam. You’ll fight through ever-changing arenas, battle Mental’s five top lieutenants, and grab bizarre new multiversal weapons. Along the way, you’ll stumble into strange portals that can either give your squad a massive power boost or end your entire run on the spot. We’re not gonna lie, sounds super cool – looks even better!
It’s a pretty big deal to hand the keys of such a classic franchise to a new studio, but original creators Croteam are fully backing the project. Croteam co-creator Davor Hunski mentioned how excited they are to see a fresh take on the universe they built. Over at Behaviour Interactive, producer Nic Duchesne noted that their goal was to respect the series’ DNA while building something totally new, praising Devolver for giving them the freedom to run with their wild ideas.
Behaviour Interactive Fun Facts
- Humble Beginnings: Founded back in 1992 in Quebec City, Behaviour Interactive has grown to become Canada’s largest independent game developer.
- A Massive Hit: Their flagship asymmetrical horror game, Dead by Daylight, has become a massive success with tens of millions of players worldwide.
- Growing Family: The studio has been steadily expanding, recently acquiring other talented teams like Darkest Dungeon developer Red Hook Studios.
Croteam Fun Facts
- Garage Origins: Founded in 1992 in Zagreb, Croatia, by a group of high school friends who started by making soccer games like Football Glory before switching to shooters.
- DIY Legends: For decades, they built and used their own proprietary “Serious Engine” because they couldn’t afford the licensing fees for other engines back in the 90s.
- National Pride: The name Croteam is actually a portmanteau of “Croatia Team,” a name they chose during the country’s war of independence to help put Croatian game development on the map.
- Hidden Talents: While they are famous for over-the-top action, they also created the critically acclaimed, deeply philosophical puzzle series The Talos Principle.
- End of an Era: After nearly 30 years of using their own tech, Croteam recently retired the Serious Engine to move all future development to Unreal Engine 5
Turning a straightforward boomer shooter into a modern, run-based roguelite is definitely a bold leap. Old-school fans might be a bit skeptical about procedural levels and random modifiers at first. But honestly, throwing five players into an arena against a screen full of screaming enemies feels exactly like the kind of chaos Serious Sam was always meant for. If Behaviour can nail the crazy difficulty spikes without losing the satisfying gunplay, this weird multiverse experiment might be exactly what the franchise needs to stay fresh for another decade.
ID Card
- Developer: Behaviour Interactive
- Publisher: Devolver Digital
- Engine: Unreal Engine 5
- Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
- Release Date: 2026
- Genre: Co-op Multiplayer Roguelite FPS
What do you think about this major shift for the franchise? Are you excited to see roguelite mechanics mixed with classic arcade shooting? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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