Turn-based TV bloodsport brings its lethal arenas and a free Platinum Edition upgrade to PlayStation and Xbox this February
Klabater is bringing Artificer’s turn-based tactical bloodsport Showgunners to consoles early next year. The game is set to launch on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on February 19, 2026, priced at $34.99.
Originally released on PC in May 2023 via Steam and GOG under publisher Good Shepherd Entertainment, Showgunners has been quietly building a reputation as a focused, TV-themed tactics game rather than another sprawling XCOM-style campaign.
On consoles, early buyers get a small upgrade path baked in. All pre-orders will be automatically bumped to the Platinum Edition at no extra cost. That bundle includes the base game, the Neon Justice costume for protagonist Scarlett, a Costumes and Weapons Pack with three extra outfits and two weapon reskins, and a Cyber Runner costume that’s reserved for PlayStation pre-orders.
Pre-orders are already live on the PlayStation Store, while Xbox players can sample the game through a playable demo on the Microsoft Store ahead of launch.
Showgunners takes place in a near-future dystopia where corporations own everything, including entertainment. The biggest show on the planet is a lethal combat game in which desperate contestants fight through deathtraps for ratings and revenge.
You step into the boots of Scarlett Martillo, a challenger with a personal score to settle, and guide her through dense urban arenas seeded with explosives, razor-wire corridors, ambush points, and roaming psychos with more enthusiasm than self-preservation.
Combat sticks to classic turn-based tactics, but with a tight, curated structure. Every stage is hand-built rather than procedurally generated, and each encounter is overseen by a sadistic show director who can drop new hazards or buffs depending on how well you’re performing.
That director system keeps fights from settling into a safe routine: you might be lining up a clean flank, only to have a train barrel down the lane or a fresh wave of enemies spawn in on live TV. Environmental threats like bombs and moving obstacles are baked into the puzzle of each arena.
Scarlett doesn’t go it alone. As the story moves forward, new companions join the roster, each with their own skill tree and battlefield role.
You spend talent points to specialize them, shop for weapons between bouts or win them mid-show, and hunt for optional objectives inside each chapter. Those hidden challenges can unlock extra allies, unique legendary gear, and consumables that open up more aggressive or riskier lines of play.
Showgunners leans into its TV format. Surviving rounds, playing to the crowd, and finishing enemies with style all feed into a fame system that attracts better sponsorship deals, giving you more resources and perks as the season goes on.
There’s also Twitch integration on PC that lets viewers spawn obstacles, enemies, or aid packages during streams, turning each run into a live collaborative spectacle. It’ll be worth watching whether and how that streaming focus carries over to the console versions.
On PC, Showgunners landed solidly in the “lean but satisfying” camp, with a mid-70s Metacritic score and reviewers generally praising its compact structure and arena-style fights over endless grind.
I still like how it commits to being a sharp, self-contained tactics show rather than a 60-hour campaign with base management bolted on. Showgunners launches for PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, and Xbox One on February 19, 2026, with the Platinum Edition upgrade available to anyone who pre-orders digitally. Below is the console trailer.
