Housemarque’s Latest Effort: Saros Coming to PS5 in 2026

In today’s PlayStation State of Play broadcast, Housemarque, the minds behind the critically acclaimed Returnal, revealed their next project: Saros. This new game, set for a 2026 launch, is available on PS5 and boasts enhancements for PS5 Pro.

The Gameplay Evolution: From Roguelike to Roguelite

“We are thrilled to announce that our latest game, Saros, is launching next year on PS5 and enhanced for PS5 Pro,” said creative director Gregory Louden during the State of Play. “Saros is the ultimate evolution of the Housemarque gameplay-first experience. It’s a new single-player IP that builds on Returnal’s award-winning third-person action,” Louden added.

The cinematic announce trailer gives us our first glimpse of protagonist Arjun Devraj, portrayed by Rahul Kohli. The game unfolds on a “hostile, shape-shifting planet haunted by an ominous eclipse.” While many might draw parallels to roguelikes due to the game’s mechanics, Saros incorporates more long-term progression systems, classifying it more accurately as a roguelite.

Permanent Resources and Progression

A key gameplay distinction between Saros and Returnal is the inclusion of permanent resources and progression. Each death in Saros presents players with a changed world, but unlike traditional roguelikes, players can choose and permanently upgrade their loadout with weapons and suit upgrades from an evolving set. This new feature ensures every death contributes to the player’s overall growth, adding more weight to each strategic choice.

“After every death you will face a changed world, but in Saros you will be able to choose and permanently upgrade your loadout from an evolving set of weapons and suit upgrades to ‘come back stronger’ to overcome the challenges you face on Carcosa,” according to a post on the PlayStation blog.

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