After two years of silence, Metal Slug Tactics returns with a new trailer and a promise that it's coming this fall

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Remember Metal Slug Tactics? Don't feel bad if the answer is no: It was announced out of nowhere in June 2021, showed off a spot of gameplay a couple months later, and then—aside from a "coming in 2023" announcement in August 2022 that didn't pan out—completely fell off the radar. But now it's back, with a new trailer and word that, for real this time, it will be out in the fall.

We were genuinely surprised when the Metal Slug series was resurrected as a tactics game, but publisher Dotemu has a pretty solid record with old-school revivals and promises more of the same here, despite the genre shift: "Metal Slug Tactics is both a respectful homage to an all-time classic and an imaginative new way to celebrate the renowned series, channeling Metal Slug's timeless aesthetic through gorgeous pixel art and fluid animation."

The new trailer showcases updated gameplay, with Marco, Eri, Fio, and Tarma demonstrating Metal Slug Tactics' turn-based gameplay. Players will begin by assembling a squad of unique fighters, and then roll them out in battles "testing intuition and efficiency." Combat against lower-ranked enemies will eventually culminate in boss battles that, when completed, will open the door to "new areas deeper behind enemy lines."

We've got some new screens, too:

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Metal Slug Tactics screenshot (2024) — (Image credit: Dotemu)

There's still not a solid release date at this point, but Dotemu says Metal Slug Tactics will be out sometime this fall. The Steam page nails it down very slightly more precisely as Q4 2024, which by my understanding is getting into the wintry side of the season, but October or the first half of November is still fair. (I know winter doesn't technically start until December 21 but I'm Canadian and winter starts when we say it starts.) A demo for Metal Slug Tactics will be available as part of the upcoming Steam Next Fest, running June 10-17.

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.