Returnal Devs Reveal Sci-Fi Action Game Saros at State of Play 2025

Housemarque, the developer behind Returnal, has officially announced Saros, its next sci-fi action title, during Sony’s State of Play event on February 12, 2025. The game is set to launch in 2026 exclusively for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro.

Set on the mysterious planet Carcosa, Saros follows Arjun Devraj, a powerful Soltari Enforcer searching for answers on a lost off-world colony. The planet is under the looming threat of an eclipse, and players will need to navigate its dangers while uncovering the truth behind its collapse.

Housemarque describes Saros as an evolution of its “gameplay-first” approach, incorporating “permanent progression mechanics”. Each time the player dies, the world dynamically shifts, unlocking new upgrades and reshaping challenges in a roguelike-inspired loop. The game is expected to build upon the fast-paced, responsive combat the studio is known for while introducing deeper narrative elements.

Actor Rahul Kohli, known for his roles in Gears 5 (Fahz Chutani), Fortnite (Origin) and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (2023, Rupinder “Roops” Kapoor) will portray the protagonist named Arjun Devraj, with Housemarque emphasizing a “grounded” performance to bring his character to life.

A more detailed gameplay reveal is planned for later this year.

Returnal, developed by Housemarque and released in April 2021 as a PlayStation exclusive, received widespread critical acclaim. It holds an 86 Metascore on Metacritic, with particular praise for its combat mechanics and audiovisual presentation. However, its high difficulty curve and lack of mid-run saves at launch were points of criticism. Financially, Returnal was considered a modest success, selling over 560,000 copies within three months and later surpassing 1 million sales by April 2023 following its PC release. While not a runaway hit, the game’s success contributed to Sony acquiring the studio a few months after Returnal’s release.