Boasting a shiny new trailer, North American indie devs Little Legendary have announced that a Kickstarter campaign for their upcoming Metroidvania, SHADE Protocol will be launching in Spring 2026.
SHADE Protocol is set in a universe where music and code collide, and promises to be saturated in precise combat and tricky exploration. Switching between DAWN and SHADE forms, you’ll battle a multitude of sleek enemies and huge bosses with futuristic weapons and otherworldly abilities, hoping to rewrite reality and save the world from the titular SHADE Protocol.
Its latest trailer debuted at the Latin American Game Awards and shows off plenty of in-game action.
The very world you explore is made of code and by learning to manipulate it, you can alter reality, relive past events and rewrite fate, shaping the universe as you see fit. You can even slice reality literally in half! Use this incredible ability to destroy your enemies and find entirely new ways to traverse the world.
With slick pixel art graphics, reminiscent of Megaman, and detailed, anime-inspired combat that’s filled with combos, parries and counters, it’s not hard to see why SHADE Protocol has already gathered more than 60,000 wishlists on Steam.
Kendall Quinones, Games Director at Little Legendary, has stated that the 5 person team “aim to make SHADE Protocol a reality no matter what” but tells players “your support would go a long way to keeping our creative autonomy”.
You can support the Kickstarter campaign when it launches in early 2026.
