"A machine will never hate itself enough to become better." That's the unbelievably metal quote we just saw in the latest Virtue and a Sledgehammer trailer, revealed on the PC Gaming Show Tokyo Direct alongside the game's launch date: October 27.
We showed off some of the hammer-wielding action in our June show, so we already knew this was going to be a bizarre descent into the human psyche, as well as a game about smashing robots to bits. I love destructible environments, and I'm getting serious Red Faction: Guerrilla vibes from the carnage on offer here. What's more, these new words tell us a lot about developer Selkie Harbour's and Deconstructeam's views on self-improvement: it is fuelled by hatred, not love.
Wishlist Virtue and a Sledgehammer on Steam
Release date: October 27, 2026
Return to your hometown and destroy it brick by brick, all while smashing through androids that have digitised your once-neighbours. Wishlist it on Steam.
In hindsight, that's pretty obvious when you consider the premise of Virtue and a Sledgehammer. You're returning to your hometown and tearing it down brick by brick, all while smashing through the androids that have digitised your once-neighbours.
There's something therapeutic going on too, though. In the last trailer we aired, we see flashbacks of moments from our protagonist's life. Visiting a grave, hanging out with friends in the woods, strangling a woman in the woods. Add to that the therapy-esque questions that get more and more deranged as the trailer goes on, and there's clearly a lot to unpack here.
I love videogames that offer deep, emotionally nuanced storytelling. I also adore ones where you can relish in the act of playing, either through sheer destruction or systems that let you interact with the world in creative ways. Virtue and a Sledgehammer is doing both. October 27 can't come soon enough.
If you also can't wait, head over to Steam and check out Virtue and a Sledgehammer's demo or wishlist the game ahead of launch. Get a feel for that sweet, sweet, stylish sledgehammer-swinging action.
Check out our Steam page with all the games, updates, and DLC featured in the show. You can also read our roundup article which includes every announcement from the show in the order it aired.
