Retro shooter sequel Cyber Mission II is coming in 2027

Eastasiasoft and independent developer Gamenergy Studio have announced Cyber Mission II, a retro side-scrolling shoot 'em up scheduled for release in 2027 across PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. The game's Steam store page is now live for wishlisting.

The project is a direct follow-up to the original Cyber Mission, which launched on August 21, 2024, across the same family of PC and console hardware. Gamenergy Studio built the first game with publishing support from Eastasiasoft and Ratalaika Games, pricing it at $9.99 as a budget-friendly entry in the crowded indie shooter market. It carved out a modest niche by mixing horizontal shmup movement with classic run 'n gun mechanics rather than locking players into a traditional starfighter cockpit.

Zero gravity and companion drones

Cyber Mission II picks up in the Black Eye Galaxy, where a criminal alien cartel has returned to strip-mine the region's resources. Players are sent in to dismantle the cartel's regional control towers across zero-gravity stages, either solo or in two-player local co-op. Instead of piloting ships, the protagonists float through stages in armored suits, blasting through waves of enemies and screen-filling bosses.

For the sequel, the developers are adding upgraded combat suits and a new primary weapon to the arsenal. Those additions build on the original game's companion cyber drone system, a mechanic that draws from classic arcade shooters like Konami's Gradius or Irem's R-Type. Rather than simply trailing behind the player in a fixed trail, the drones can be positioned to boost forward fire rates or guard your back against enemies closing in from behind.

What remains to be seen is how much the stage variety will expand beyond the first game's brisk runtime. The 2024 original was a quick afternoon playthrough, which made sense at a ten-dollar price point, though I'm curious whether the 2027 sequel aims for a meatier campaign or sticks to the same bite-sized arcade structure.

Eastasiasoft's long history with 2D shooters

Founded in Hong Kong in 2007, Eastasiasoft has spent nearly two decades producing and publishing 2D shooters and arcade-style indie games. The company first gained traction during the PlayStation 3 era with internal co-productions like Söldner-X: Himmelsstürmer and its 2010 sequel Söldner-X 2: Final Prototype, before growing into a prolific multiplatform publisher with a steady pipeline of digital releases and Playasia physical editions.

It's also mildly amusing to see PlayStation 4 and Xbox One still firmly on the release schedule for a 2027 launch. Then again, 2D pixel-art shooters don't exactly need current-generation ray tracing to run at 60 frames per second, and keeping those older consoles in the rotation has been standard practice for Eastasiasoft's catalog. Pricing and a narrower release window haven't been shared yet.