Kickstarter Campaign for Metroidvania SHADE Protocol Launches in Spring 2026

SHADE Protocol, a side-scrolling cyber-fantasy Metroidvania from Little Legendary, will launch a Kickstarter campaign in spring 2026 to fund console ports, additional content, and expanded development support; the game is planned for PC via Steam with a full release date to be announced.

The title is described as a fusion of music, code, and combat in which players swap between DAWN and SHADE forms, wield Instruments as code-based weapons, and employ the Protocols to recode the world around them. These mechanics let players alter attacks, defenses, and even enemy behaviors, allowing for emergent approaches to combat and exploration across interconnected Bastions as the conflict between SHADEs and Xaviors unfolds.

SHADE Protocol‘s combat gameplay emphasizes high-speed, skill-based encounters that reward parries, counters, and timing, while defensive mechanics restore Echo to enable powerful Instrument abilities. Exploration ties directly into the combat loop: discoveries change the balance of the war and reveal opportunities to reshape reality through the UNISON system.