One of this year’s big upcoming games is Saros, the next game from developer Housemarque. A spiritual sequel to Returnal, Saros builds on the foundation of that roguelike action game and is described as the “ultimate evolution” of the company’s approach to gameplay-first adventures. Here’s everything we know about the game so far, ahead of its arrival in April.
When will Saros be released?
Saros will be released on April 30, 2026. The game was initially scheduled to launch on March 20, but the third-person shooter was pushed back to this new date.
Preorder Saros
Preorders are now open for Saros. A standard edition of the game is priced at $70, and the Digital Deluxe Edition includes 48-hour early access starting April 28 and exclusive Enforcer armor sets. Preordering any physical or digital version of Saros gets you the in-game Hand of Shore Armor as a bonus
Sony will also offer an exclusive Saros: Digital Deluxe Edition through the PlayStation Store. This will unlock the following extras for you:
- Saros base game for PS5
- 48-hour Early Access starting April 28
- Astra Armor (Inspired by Returnal)
- Onryo Armor (Inspired by Ghost of Tsushima)
- Midgard Armor (Inspired by God of War)
- Hand of Shore Armor (preorder bonus)
Saros trailer
The first trailer for Saros was released during the February State of Play event–check it out below. The trailer spotlights the setting, tone, and story. We think it looks pretty great.
Saros platforms
Saros will launch on PS5, but Housemarque hasn’t mentioned a PC release yet. Its previous game, Returnal, did come to PC two years after it first arrived on PS5, and with Sony adopting a multiplatform release strategy, it’s likely that Saros will eventually find its way to PC.
Will Saros be PS5 Pro Enhanced?
Creative director Gregory Louden confirmed during State of Play that Saros will be PS5 Pro-enhanced, though the exact enhancements remain to be seen. Housemarque makes some of the best-looking games around, with Returnal being one of the most graphically impressive on PS5 when it launched. If that game is any indication, you can probably expect some terrific monster designs and particle effects for days when Saros launches.
Saros story, setting, and characters
Set on the planet Carcosa, Saros puts you in the boots of Arjun Devraj, a powerful Soltari Enforcer who ison the hunt for answers on this lost off-world colony that is currently caught in the shadow of a very ominous eclipse. Housemarque says that it has crafted a haunting story for the game, one full of nightmarish monsters, judging by the teaser trailer.
The studio also added that the game will feature a grounded voice-over, cinematics, audio logs, and conversations with several non-playable characters. There are also Soltari Holograms detailing what happened on Carcosa as you explore the planet, and collecting them will reveal what exactly happened on that planet. Housemarque added that there’ll also be more surreal and mysterious storytelling sequences, but it won’t share any details just yet.
A familiar face
Your eyes are not deceiving you; that is indeed actor Rahul Kohli lending his voice and likeness to Devraj. According to Housemarque, the Midnight Mass actor delivers a “grounded” performance in Saros. “Every time the sun dies, madness reigns, then everything begins again. “But after every death, I always come back stronger,” Devraj says in the trailer.
Saros gameplay
Saros looks to be a game where aggression pays off, as Arjun wears an advanced combat suit that gives him several enhanced abilities. Every time you start a run, you can select your loadout from a mix of Soltari human weaponry and Carcosan alien weaponry. The September 2025 State of Play deep dive showed Arjun wielding the Soltari Phosphorous Shotgun, a weapon that can melt through enemies.
The other big difference between Saros and Returnal is that Arjun can charge straight into danger, thanks to the Soltari Shield. By holding R1, Arjun can absorb the energy from lethal projectiles and charge up a Carcosan Power Weapon to hit hard. Essentially, you can harvest the attacks of your enemies and throw it right back at them. The catch here is that Power Weapons also transform Arjun’s right arm into an eclipse-fueled weapon, corrupting him in the process. It’s a double-edged sword, but one that he can swing to gain an edge in combat.
If Arjun does fall in battle, he will have a “second chance” to cheat death and get right back into the thick of things. After discovering how to use Eclipse corruption energy to rise back up on first death, Arjun can come back stronger, and future runs will give him the option to upgrade his Soltari advanced combat suit and abilities.
“After every death, you will face a changed world, but in Saros, you will be able to choose and permanently upgrade your loadout from an evolving set of weapons and suit upgrades to ‘come back stronger’ to overcome the challenges you face on Carcosa,” Housemarque explained.
A moment of respite
Death is inevitable in Saros, and when you do eventually fall, you’ll find yourself transported to the Passage. This is the game’s central hub, and it’s populated with survivors of the Echelon IV crew and tools to help upgrade your abilities at the Armor Matrix.
Enter the Armor Matrix
Using resources gathered from your runs, you can adjust your Enforcer Armor via the Armor Matrix. With the right materials, you can increase your maximum armor integrity or increase your shield capacity with these permanent upgrades.
Fast travel back into the action
Once you’ve unlocked a biome, you can teleport directly to it when starting a new run. . Marathon runs are possible, and on death, your collected main and power weapons will be kept, so if you really enjoyed using a particular weapon, you can start afresh with it in your arsneal.
The Mod Squad
Need to make things a little easier or a little more challenging? You can do just that with Protection and Trial Modifiers, but the twist here is that Protections and Trials must be kept in balance to ensure a consistent challenge level. Some examples given by Housemarque include reducing incoming damage and making it easier to reload weapons, or, if you’re feeling masochistic, making enemies more aggressive and removing the Second Chance ability entirely.
Eclipse escalation
The sinister eclipse on Carcos does more than just darken the skies; it also affects weapons, artifacts, the world, and people’s minds. It can also change certain biomes, and enemies can shoot yellow corrupted projectiles, which reduce your max armor integrity, forcing you to cleanse them by using your power weapon.
Point of no Returnal
After spending several hours with it, GameSpot’s Tamoor Hussain walked away with some solid impressions of the upcoming bullet ballet.
“For some, Saros’ similarities to Returnal may temper their excitement somewhat. But, having played a few hours, it has become clear to me that, like Selene and Arjun, Housemarque is approaching the familiar armed with knowledge, experience, and tools that it hopes it can use to push further into the unknown.”
