If you have a love of '80s arcade games, old action films, and ninjas, then you're in luck.

Shadow Gangs Zero is coming to Steam later this month, on October 27th, 2026.

Pitched back in 2024 as "the highly anticipated sequel" to 2020's Shadow Gangs, Shadow Gangs Zero is a project that its developer, JKM Corp, has described in the past as a homage to games like Shinobi and Bad Dudes, and is chock full of pop culture references, from a bald villain that has more than passing resemblance to Lex Luthor to allusions to the Queen frontman Freddie Mercury and 1981 John Carpenter-directed classic Escape from New York.

Initially designed first and foremost for Neo Geo hardware, it raised an impressive £139,165 on Kickstarter two years ago, before ambitiously adding a long list of other consoles to its target platforms, including the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, Dreamcast, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Steam. This was all estimated to be finished and shipped earlier this year, but like many Kickstarter projects of this nature, that date has inevitably slipped, with a beta of the Neo Geo version being released to backers in July of this year to tide people over and the Steam version having since taken priority.

The idea, as the developer explained on Kickstarter, is to use Steam as another environment to test player feedback before bringing those changes to the physical version for Neo Geo. After that, the team will focus on releasing the PS5, Switch, and Xbox One editions before finishing up the Sega Dreamcast and Sega Mega Drive / Genesis ports.

A Steam page for Shadow Gangs Zero is already live, which promises two playable characters, "43 levels of ninja action", 12 bosses (6 main bosses and 6 mini-bosses), 2 bonus stages and 2-player local co-op.

Here's a brief summary of what to expect when it launches:

"MASTER THE NINJA ARTS. BRING THE FIREPOWER.

Shadow Gangs Zero is a fast-paced 2D ninja action platformer inspired by the golden age of arcade gaming, combining classic gameplay with detailed pixel art, fluid animation and modern refinements.

Choose to play as Dan or Monika, two powerful ninjas with their own presence on the battlefield, and fight to rescue captive ninjas from the Shadow Gangs.

Play the adventure solo with either character, or team up in 2-player local co-op, with Dan and Monika fighting side by side.

FIGHT, TRANSFORM AND UNLEASH YOUR POWER

Throw shurikens, defeat enemies in close combat and unleash devastating ninja magic.

Transform into a powerful warrior armed with a machine gun and katana, completely changing the way you fight.

Learn enemy patterns, master your attacks and use every ability at your disposal to survive increasingly intense encounters."

Did you back the original Kickstarter? How are you feeling about the project as it readies itself for Steam?