The North American indie studio Little Legendary has announced its debut project, SHADE Protocol, a 2D cyber-fantasy metroidvania that will be released for PC via Steam in 2026.
This title is set in a dying world overtaken by a sentient metal called Elythium. Players control the prototype Replica, Zura, who can recompile reality and is the last hope for both humanity and free-willed machines. She eventually finds herself combating an enemy that can rewrite the fabric of existence.
Exploration occurs across interconnected Bastions, where story discoveries reveal more about the war between SHADEs and Xaviors, alongside the SHADE Protocol that consumes all.
The gameplay features switching between the DAWN and SHADE modes, which alter combat styles and dynamics. Further, Zura wields Instruments, code-based weapons inspired by music, each serving a unique role across battles and exploration.
The combat is described as swift and skill-based, with parrying and countering part of the overall loop. Perfectly timed parries and counters restore Echo, a crucial energy source for powerful Instrument attacks and defensive techniques. The weapons are musically based; a few examples include the Twilight Spear, Sunrise Great Axe, and Midnight Chakram, which have their own combat and exploration abilities.
Another notable mechanic regards the UNISON System. With the world existing as code, this system can be wielded to manipulate events, relive key moments, and choose their outcomes.
Director Kendall Quinone said the following:
As our first game as a studio, we’re trying to make something different and unique, while also being a love letter to those titles that led the way of our craft. Innovating is the core purpose of Little Legendary; expanding on the greatness that came before us and leaving something that inspires those that come after.
And so, we introduce SHADE Protocol. A journey through a bright, beautiful, dying world that wants to be explored, cared for, saved. If you’ve ever really wanted to “break” a game literally in half, this one’s for you. It’s a game about bending and breaking the rules of a world made entirely out of code and music; like if Megaman X met The Matrix. We hope to take you on a grand adventure full of all the songs we humans left behind in a universe inherited by our creations.