Serious Sam Shatterverse Brings Co-Op Chaos To Xbox This Year

The legendary run-and-gun shooter franchise is making a massive comeback. Revealed during the recent Xbox Partner Preview, Serious Sam: Shatterverse is a brand-new cooperative first-person shooter heading to Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC later this year. This latest entry takes the beloved action series in a surprising new direction by introducing procedural roguelite mechanics and a multiverse storyline.

Instead of a traditional linear campaign, up to five players can team up online to blast through endless waves of aliens.

A new developer takes the reins

The studio behind the hit multiplayer game Dead by Daylight is running the show this time. Behaviour Interactive is taking over development duties for Shatterverse, while Devolver Digital handles publishing. Handing off an established franchise to a different team can sometimes make long-time fans nervous.

Fortunately, the original creator, Croteam, gave the project its full blessing. The main objective is to respect the rich history of the classic games while giving the core gameplay loop a highly replayable modern update.

What to expect from the gameplay

Shatterverse leans heavily into a fractured multiverse concept. The villainous Mental has broken reality, meaning you and your friends will play as different versions of Sam pulled from alternate dimensions. You still get the giant open battlefields and massive hordes of enemies that the games are famous for. The main twist is how you approach each fight.

Because this is a run-based roguelite, every single attempt features procedurally shifted arenas and randomized modifiers. You will navigate unstable anomalies and unlock wild upgrades that can completely change your combat strategy on the fly. Players can experiment with a massive arsenal that mixes classic firearms with brand-new gadgets.

If you die, you lose your temporary items, start over, and try a completely different build. The entire experience is built to be loud, fast, and highly unpredictable. Fans can expect an announcement of the final release date from the publisher soon.