Saros Announced in Gameplay Trailer by Housemarque with Confirmed Release Date Set for March 20, 2026
Developer Housemarque unveiled the next project, Saros, during the most recent State of Play presentation, with first glimpses at some gameplay quite different from their award-winning formula in Returnal. The release date was confirmed as March 20, 2026, for the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro.
Evolving Returnal's Core Gameplay
The gameplay trailer showed that Saros continues from fast-paced, third-person bullet-hell action, basically, Returnal. Adding to the idea, Creative Director Gregory Louden confirmed the aim is to add "more depth to our gameplay by adding wider varieties of tools."
New mechanics revealed in the trailer include:
- Shield Mechanic: Players can absorb enemy projectiles to further augment this already frenetic action with the counterattack.
- Revive System: The mechanic must give at least one revive opportunity during any run, thereby providing a second chance that was a late-game unlock in Returnal.
- Loadout Selection: At the start of every run, players will be able to choose a loadout from a mix of Soltari-based human weaponry and Carcosan-based alien weaponry.
The protagonist Arjun dodges, rolls, and jumps, and the trailer showed off Arjun using Soltari Phosphorous Shotgun against hostile machines on the planet Carcosa.
Broadening the Narrative Approach
Housemarque is broadening its narrative approach for Saros. While the plot was mostly kept under wraps, they did share how the story would occur on the planet Carcosa:
- Diverse Storytelling: The story is told through grounded voice-overs, cinematics, audio logs, and conversations with an NPC cast.
- Soltari Holograms: Players can collect holograms that tel the story of what happened on Carcosa. A vital piece of lore for those looking for it.
- Mysterious Sequences: The team also hinted at more "surreal and mysterious storytelling sequences" to be revealed in due course.
Availability
March 20, 2026, is the confirmed date for when Saros will be made available exclusively for the PlayStation 5 and PS5 Pro.
