According to IGN, Counterplay Games has revealed Armatus, a new third-person roguelite shooter set in a fictionalized and devastated version of Paris. The game is scheduled for a 2026 release on Xbox Series consoles, PS5, PC, and the Nintendo Switch 2. An event called The Vanishing has caused the end of the world, and players control a masked warrior fighting demons. The trailer showed extensive combat and monster designs, but many details remain unknown. This marks the first major project from the studio since their 2020 release, Godfall, which launched on PlayStation and PC before coming to Xbox and received a 6/10 review score from IGN.
Counterplay’s Second Chance
So Counterplay Games is back. And let’s be honest, they’ve got something to prove here. Godfall was… well, it was a game that existed. It had fantastic visuals and some genuinely cool weapon designs, but the “looter-slasher” just couldn’t escape the repetition trap. Our own review called out how the mission structure wore thin, especially in the endgame. Now they’re pivoting to a roguelite structure, which honestly feels like a smarter move for their apparent strengths. Roguelites are built around repetition by design—it’s the whole point. Maybe this genre will finally let those flashy combat mechanics and weapon systems shine without feeling like a grind.
Why Another Messed Up Paris?
Here’s the thing: ruined cities are basically the default setting for action games now. But a twisted version of Paris? That’s at least got some visual flair. We’ve seen London and New York get demolished countless times, but the City of Light offers some iconic architecture to corrupt. The “masked warrior fighting demons” premise isn’t exactly breaking new ground either, but the trailer’s monster designs do look promising. Basically, the success here will come down to whether the moment-to-moment gameplay feels as good as those monster designs look. Can they make shooting demons in a broken Eiffel Tower feel meaningfully different from shooting demons anywhere else?
The 2026 Reality Check
A 2026 release date tells us two things immediately. First, this is early in development—we’re likely seeing target renders or very polished vertical slices. Second, Counterplay is giving themselves plenty of time to get this right, which is smart after Godfall’s reception. The Nintendo Switch 2 mention is also interesting—that’s pure confirmation of hardware we all know is coming but hasn’t been officially announced. Look, the gaming landscape in 2026 will be wildly different. Will players still care about post-apocalyptic shooters then? Can Counterplay deliver on the promise of a compelling roguelite loop? I’m cautiously optimistic, but let’s just say the proof will be in the demon-slaying pudding.
