Saros Is The Next Game From Housemarque

At this week’s PlayStation State of Play, Housemarque revealed their new game Saros, a roguelike that’s set to release at some point in 2026.

Set on the mysterious planet Carcosa, Saros revolves around Arjun Devraj (played by actor Rahul Kohli). He’s searching for someone who’s on the planet, but in classic roguelike fashion, he’s trapped in a cycle of death that keeps bringing him back to the start of a solar eclipse. If that cryptic alien premise sounds somewhat like Housemarque’s last game Returnal, that’s intentional.

As Creative Director Gregory Louden says on the PlayStation Blog, the team knew it landed on something special with Returnal, but they wanted that game to be standalone. That being the case, the team shifted its focus toward creating something new that “evolves our deep third-person action and mysterious storytelling.”

We only received a CG trailer that indicates the team’s stellar art direction and creature design remain intact, but Louden did provide a small idea about the new ideas that Housemarque is bringing to the gameplay. Saros shares roguelike DNA with Returnal, but one area where it differs is in its progression. In Saros, you can choose between a selection of permanent upgrades to your weapon loadouts and armor, making death a bit less punishing since you’ll be coming back to life stronger than you were before.

If the dozens of energy blasts that were heading toward Arjun at the end of the trailer are anything to go by, we’ll need all the upgrades we can get. Returnal is a hectic game that can be overwhelming at times with how many orbs and particles need to be dodged, so I expect Saros to be just as intense. We’ll have a better idea of what gameplay is like when we get our first look at some point later this year.

Nevertheless, I can’t wait for Saros to come out. Returnal was a game that I never expected to fall in love with, but it stands tall as one of the best games of the PlayStation 5 generation. If Housemarque can tell another gripping story in a fascinating new world and top it off with excellent gameplay, they’re sure to have another Game of the Year contender on their hands when it comes out in 2026.