Co-developed by Slipgate Ironworks and One More Level, the firstGhostrunnergame was a critical success. Its combination of hardcore FPP slasher elements, platforming, and fast-paced action madeGhostrunnera hit with both critics and gamers. The 2020 title was seen as a breath of fresh air in the platforming genre, featuring incredibly slick movements and precise combat as well as beautifully realized environments.Ghostrunners’immersive cyberpunk-meets-post-apocalyptic world was also praised, offering a new take on the familiar sci-fi setting. Due to the game’s warm reception, it was no surprise that less than a year after its release,Ghostrunner 2was announced.
505 Games assumed full publishing rights for the IP afterGhostrunner’s release and announced last year thatGhostrunner 2was in development, as assuring fans that current-gen console versions of the first game would be available by the end of 2021. Beyond that, the upcomingGhostrunner 2has remained mostly a mystery, and many players were hoping to hear more about it during505 Games' recent showcase. However,Ghostrunner 2was conspicuously missing, though it wasn’t the only game to be missing from the stream.
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The State Of Ghostrunner 2
In May of last year, 505 Games announced its continued collaboration with developer One More Level tobringGhostrunner 2to life. Citing the game’s success and positive reception, 505 Games revealed its plans for a potentially expanded IP, confident thatGhostrunnerwas “capable of contributing for a long time to the 505 Games product portfolio.” This was good news for fans who were keen to jump back into the cutthroat world of Jack and the crumbling arcology of Dharma Tower.
Beyond this initial announcement, both thedeveloper and publisher ofGhostrunner 2have been extremely quiet with regard to the sequel. Players do know thatGhostrunner 2will be coming to PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, and hopefully the sequel will be able to smooth out some of the performance issues that non-PC players experienced with the first game thanks to the more powerful capabilities of current-gen consoles.
No trailers or looks at gameplay have been released so far, and a launch date has proved to be just as elusive. It stands to reason thatGhostrunner 2will follow in the footsteps of its predecessor, providing players with plenty of gory combat, challenging gameplay, and dynamic Parkour action amidst a neon-lit sci-fi setting, but its story still remains a mystery.
The Big Games Missing From 505’s Showcase
With more and more developers and publishers launching individual livestreams and game showcases outside big events like E3, players have a wider range of avenues to learn about new and upcoming games than ever. This means that the year is filled with exciting events and streams to get all the video game goodness that a player could possibly desire, and505 Games Spring 2022 showcasewas just such an event. The publisher’s first-ever digital showcase delivered trailers for several of its games, but while there were some great-looking games featured, a few key players were missing.
Before the showcase, gamers were anticipating more news aboutEiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, a JRPG and popular Kickstarter project that made waves on the funding platform in 2020. However, apart fromanother look atEiyuden Chronicle: Rising, news aboutEiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroeswas practically non-existent. Supernatural survival gameAmong the Trollsreceived an announcement trailer, and the action RPG and SoulslikeStray Bladewas featured, among others, but some fans were left disappointed by the lack of Rabbit and Bear Studios' upcoming title.
Ghostrunner 2was also nowhere to be seen. This may be a little more understandable, as work on the sequel has most likely only just started thanks to the first game’s unexpected success and 505 Games' recent-ish move to take a larger role in the franchise by taking over the full publishing rights. With barely anything currently known about the upcoming sequel, it’s possible that there really isn’t much to show ofGhostrunner 2yet. It makes sense that505 Games wanted to focus on titles that have trailers, or at least more substantive development updates to share.
Ghostrunner 2is currently in development for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
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