IKARO Will Not Die: Everything We Know

With a name like IKARO Will Not Die, it makes you wonder what sort of character Ikaro might be. Are they immortal or simply so badass that nothing can take them down? Well, you’ll soon be able to find out with the recent announcement and the follow-up reveal trailer. Straight off the bat, you can draw similarities to exceptional games like Ghostrunner and Returnal with the parkour system and roguelike bullet hell-fueled combat. 

Still, IKARO Will Not Die sets itself apart from most games, shaping up to possibly alter the gaming landscape for the better. Are you curious to know when the game will be released? Is there a trailer or story details currently available? Well, we’ve compiled everything there is to know about IKARO Will Not Die for you down below.

What is IKARO Will Not Die?

From the creators of Velocity and PowerWash Simulator, publisher Thunderful, and award-winning studio FuturLab are preparing to release an upcoming new arcade action game called IKARO Will Not Die. The game will be the spiritual successor to the critically acclaimed Velocity fast-paced shoot ’em up series and will feature a unique blend of martial arts combat, gravity surfing, and what Steam terms “ultimate fluid gameplay.”

Story

It’s a no-brainer: IKARO Will Not Die will follow the protagonist “Ikaro,” also seen in the reveal trailer. We don’t know much about the guy. However, we do at least know that he’s incredibly stylish and loves to move pretty fast. We’ll be sure to update you as soon as we’re privy to the exact details of the story.

Gameplay

Thunderful and FuturLab have focused their attention on the gameplay side of things. We know that IKARO Will Not Die will feature a dynamic gameplay system. Billed as “a momentum-based action roguelite,” you can expect to always be on the move to progress through levels while also fighting off the bad guys. 

IKARO is shown in the trailer moving fast through neon-soaked hallways and rooms. He dashes forward and plunges melee attacks into the hearts of enemies. Meanwhile, he air-dashes and performs stunning somersaults to draw closer and away from enemies. The game’s E.M.O. is movement above all, so possibly a greater focus on parkour will reign.

The official Steam description reads:

Experience the most extreme dynamic gameplay mechanism in “IKARO Will Not Die” – the spiritual sequel to the critically acclaimed annual game “Velocity” 2X. This new arcade action masterpiece delivers an exciting mix of gravity surfing and unique combat with gameplay built around movement.

Master the game's gravity-defying system, surf through sci-fi environments, chain moves together into dazzling combat encounters, and use an array of cool skills in FuturLab's latest masterpiece. The PowerWash Simulator and Velocity series come from the award-winning studio.

More details will be released soon…

Development

IKARO Will Not Die was first announced to the world during the Xbox Partner Preview event held on October 25, 2023, along with a ton more exciting entries. Thereafter, publisher Thunderful and developer FuturLab went on to release a reveal trailer that gives us sneak peeks into the gameplay we can expect to see in the final product. 

FuturLab CEO Kirsty Rigden revealed in a press release, “We’re thrilled to finally be able to share a sneak peek at our upcoming game, IKARO Will Not Die.” She continues to add, “As a spiritual successor to Velocity, fans will recognize motifs from the series, but with the style and sophistication of the combat and traversal systems dialed up to 1,000. We can’t wait to share more further down the line.”

Other than that, there hasn’t been official confirmation of the development process. However, the game’s Steam page reassures us that “More details to be released soon…”

Trailer

With the teaser trailer out now, you can check out for yourself the action-packed gameplay you can expect to see in the final game. The trailer looks pretty slick, with flashy segments, including the character Ikaro himself. The environment oozes neon cyberpunk delight, with Ikaro weaving his way in and out of various levels. 

Ikaro uses rapid attacks and fast-paced combat to thwart his enemies where they stand. Definitely, expect some tantalizing gravity surfing action, along with a unique blend of martial arts and arcade action. Meanwhile, feel free to check out the screenshots in the gallery section on the Steam store page.

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

Unfortunately, we don’t have an exact release date yet, with Steam stating that the launch date is “to be announced soon.” Still, seeing as IKARO Will Not Die only made its debut recently at the Xbox Partner Preview event, chances are the release date may slip into the later months of next year, hopefully sooner.

As for the platforms, IKARO Will Not Die plans to launch on “consoles,” as per the trailer, and PC platforms. Velocity is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4, so perhaps IKARO Will Not Die will be, too. But after the Xbox Partner Preview showcase, we can confirm that the game will definitely launch on the Xbox Series X/S console. It’ll also be available via Xbox Game Pass on Day One, presumably. Meanwhile, you can always add the game to your wishlist via Steam to get a notification as soon as it drops.

Editions-wise, it’s too early to say. Thunderful and FuturLab have yet to confirm any editions you can pre-order besides the standard one. However, you can always follow the official social handle here to keep track of any new information as soon as it comes up, while we also keep our eyes peeled on our side as well.

So, what’s your take? Will you be picking up IKARO Will Not Die when it drops? Let us know over on our socials here.