Sam Stone Goes Multiverse
Dead by Daylight’s studio is taking a swing at Sam Stone. Revealed during Microsoft’s Xbox Partner Showcase, Serious Sam: Shatterverse turns the long-running arena shooter into a co-operative multiplayer roguelite, published by Devolver Digital and due out this year on Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC.
Rather than a straight sequel, Shatterverse frames itself as a “celebratory romp through 25 years of Serious Sam,” pulling in different versions of Sam from fractured dimensions. Those multiple Sams can squad up, carve through familiar foes, and test new threats across runs that remix the series’ trademark chaos with layered buffs and unpredictable twists.
A new trailer debuted alongside the announcement, and it wastes no time selling the premise: heavy ordnance, screaming chargers, and a Sam multiverse colliding under a pulpy, comic-book vibe. Anyone who’s ever kited a stampede of headless kamikazes will recognize the energy—just channeled through a structure built for drop-in co-op and repeat runs.
Roguelite Structure, Classic Mayhem
Behaviour Interactive is leaning on roguelite staples without losing Sam’s pace. You’ll stack “boons” between encounters to alter weapons and abilities, then push deeper as arenas shift. The team also calls out “procedurally shifted runs” and “unstable anomalies,” modifiers that can bend a good plan out of shape mid-mission. Expect that to reward improvisation as much as precision aim.
Under all the new systems sits the core of Serious Sam: a vast arsenal and massive enemy counts. Shotguns, cannons, and laser toys still do the heavy lifting while arenas flood with targets. If Behaviour sticks the landing, the boon-driven buildcraft could turn classic loadouts into short-run experiments—one outing geared for raw crowd control, the next for mobility and boss-busting.
Co-op anchors the pitch. Different Sams from multiple dimensions teaming up isn’t just a lore gag; it’s a license for complementary builds and louder fireworks. Picture one player specced to thin the herd while another amplifies single-target damage, with anomalies forcing the squad to pivot mid-sprint. That feedback loop—learn, tweak, blast, repeat—fits the series’ arcade heart surprisingly well.
New Steward, Old Blessing
This entry isn’t coming from original series developer Croteam, but the baton pass has support from inside the franchise. A co-creator of Serious Sam backed the reveal, saying, “Seeing Shatterverse come to life is a really big moment for us. It’s very exciting to see another talented team step in and create something bold, fresh, and different within the universe we cherished for so long. I can’t wait for both the old and new fans to experience this new interpretation of the series!”
Devolver remains on publishing duty, bridging the heritage with the new direction. That continuity matters, especially as Shatterverse reaches beyond purists to invite roguelite and co-op crowds who might know Behaviour more for asymmetrical horror than for circle-strafing coliseums.
Why Behaviour, Why Now
Behaviour Interactive has been busy. The studio recently acquired 7 Days to Die in a surprise deal, while Dead by Daylight keeps its cadence of updates. Live-ops muscle and cross-genre experimentation are fast becoming its calling cards, which could benefit a run-based Serious Sam built for replay and long-tail tuning.
Timing also makes sense. Serious Sam’s identity—big guns, bigger crowds—maps cleanly onto roguelite rhythms that thrive on escalating tension and short, satisfying loops. Add co-op and a multiverse hook, and you get a format that celebrates the last 25 years without rehashing them wholesale. If the anomalies and boons deliver real variety, Shatterverse could be the most pick-up-and-play Sam in years.
We’ll see how deep the build variety goes and how wild those anomalies get when Shatterverse lands on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC later in 2024. Behaviour has a shot to capture that “one more run” pull without dulling Sam’s blunt-force charm—and if the trailer’s any indication, the series’ trademark screamers are more than ready to test your headphones again.
