Acclaim, the legendary gaming icon, is back as a restart and is showing off its first wave of indie games as it returns to gaming with its Play Acclaim Showcase.
After more than two decades, a team of industry veterans united in March to bring back Acclaim Entertainment, one of gaming’s most iconic brands to publish original intellectual properties. It’s not going to make old Acclaim franchises now, but it has a full slate of new titles to show.
Originally founded in 1987, Acclaim established itself over the years as a leading worldwide developer, publisher, and mass marketer, bringing beloved franchises such as Mortal Kombat, Turok, and NBA Jam to home consoles. None of those brands is current available to the new Acclaim.
But the company said it carries forward the ideology on which it was founded with its unrelenting support of talented indie developers and its delivery of high-quality, premium indie games to a global audience of discerning gamers. Acclaim’s return is a testament to the strength and enduring appeal of its iconic brand.
The full presentation is now available to watch on Acclaim’s YouTube channel, and fans can explore more at www.PlayAcclaim.com.
The Play Acclaim showcase featured nine unique titles, blending innovative gameplay with nostalgic flair: Talaka, GRIDBeat!, Pixel Washer, TossDown, Hyper Yuki, Ground Zero Hero, Basketball Classic, The Prisoning: Fletcher’s Quest and Katanaut. The latter is a surprise game that is available now.
“We’re ecstatic to relaunch Acclaim with a lineup that captures our legacy of bold creativity and delivers fresh, unforgettable experiences,” said Alex Josef, CEO of Acclaim. “These games are just the beginning of our mission to redefine fun for players everywhere.”
The new Acclaim
“It’s our opening salvo, or debut in terms of marketing, showcasing and revealing the games that we have slated for 2026,” said Josef, in an interview with GamesBeat.
Regarding the same-day release of Katanaut, Acclaim collaborated with the developer to get the game across the finish line and pump it up as part of the show as a surprise launch.
“The main thing we want to get across is just that we’re definitely heavily focused on supporting indies and bringing really great games to market,” Josef said. “We are paying a bit of homage to the Acclaim of past, but this isn’t a reboot. This isn’t trying too hard to hang on to the old. It’s more of a renaissance. It’s more about giving a nod to the old Acclaim with their iconic games from the 80s and the 90s, their edgy campaigns and the lasting cultural mark that they made in gaming.”
Josef confirmed there is no former Acclaim IP showing up at the event. It’s not all of the question for the future, but it’s not something that the company wants to focus on.
“We’re heavily focused on the future and not dwelling on the past,” Josef said. “I think there are games within this lineup where people will see a nod to the past. We are making the focus on cool, fun games that have that same edginess.”
There’s a lot of action and humor in the lineup, with a variety of platforms and genres like roguelikes and platformers. Acclaim is going after a general gaming audience with games that have been in the works for 18 months to 24 months.
As for the state of gaming, Josef finds it to be a super unpredictable time, given the long period of uncertainty and rollercoaster ups and downs the industry has seen.
“I don’t think it’s easy to speculate about what’s going to happen in the future,” Josef said. “We’re being very judicious and careful about how we about the games that we look at and that we choose to partner with, and the developers that we look to work with. We want to form relationships first of all.”
Acclaim line-up announced in the showcase
Tossdown
Run, jump, and dash through chaos, dodging hazards and enemies as you deliver packages. Fight back with wacky power-ups and chaos from a variety of perks to improve your chances of survival. It’s Crazy Taxi meets Jet Set Radio!
Developer: Fer Factor
Coming to: PC & Consoles (TBA)
YouTube Trailer: youtu.be/PgpOFBYTNKU
Steam Page: store.steampowered.com/app/3241560/Tossdown
Ground Zero Hero
Ground Zero Hero is an action-roguelite with light survival elements set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Battle mutated freaks, absorb their radioactive guts, mutate yourself to gain new powers… and eat a lot of candy.
Developer: Rowan Edmondson
Coming to: PC & Consoles (TBA)
YouTube Trailer: youtu.be/s6nmoH5bTTU
Steam Page: store.steampowered.com/app/2570580/Ground_Zero_Hero
Basketball Classics
A 5-on-5 Pro Basketball game born from the golden era of sports games. This spiritual successor to the 8-bit ballers bridges the gap between retro and today’s simulation games. Side-scrolling, sweaty arcade action with simplified 3-button gameplay and retro vibes galore.
Developer: Namo Gamo
Coming to: Out now on PC, coming soon to Nintendo Switch
YouTube Trailer: youtu.be/4_CRBRrUClc
Steam Page: store.steampowered.com/app/819630/Basketball_Classics
Pixel Washer
Step into the hooves of Pigxel, a plucky pig armed with a powerful power washer, tasked with cleaning up a messy town. Wielding your trusty washer, you’ll spray your way through a variety of exciting challenges.
Developer: Valadria
Coming to: PC & Consoles (TBA)
YouTube Trailer: youtu.be/vHk6rCKKkEY
Steam Page: store.steampowered.com/app/2572060/Pixel_Washer
The Prisoning: Fletcher’s Quest
Step into the mind of Fletcher Howie Jr, a game developer on the brink of physical and emotional burnout during the final stages of an intense project.
After a visit to the psychologist that goes horribly wrong, you must escape your perilous mental prison in a Metroidvania drenched in anxiety based on a very true story.
Developer: Elden Pixels
Coming to: PC & Consoles (TBA)
YouTube Trailer: youtu.be/yH07w3-bMv4
Steam Page: store.steampowered.com/app/2725470/The_Prisoning_Fletchers_Quest
GRIDBeat!
Step behind the keyboard of a shadowy hacker and move to the beat as you infiltrate virtual dungeons teeming with traps to evade and systems to hack.
Featuring more than 50 neon-saturated stages to explore and endless additional content in the form of user-generated stages, GRIDBeat! will put your skills and your rhythm to the test.
Developer: Ridiculous Games
Coming to: PC & Consoles (TBA)
YouTube Trailer: youtu.be/TATp91aZGe0
Steam Page: store.steampowered.com/app/3243370/GRIDbeat
Talaka
A fast-paced, combat-driven roguelite that brings Afro-Brazilian mythology to life in a vivid, hand-painted world unlike anything you’ve seen.
Developer: Potato Kid
Coming to: PC & Consoles (TBA)
YouTube Trailer: youtu.be/QiM8nJoUL_E
Steam Page: store.steampowered.com/app/3815370/Talaka/
HYPERYuki
A high-speed, trick-fueled snowboarding bonanza wrapped in a slick, retro-futurist Y2K aesthetic, inspired by 90s legends like Cool Boarders and SSX.
Shred through eight over-the-top courses packed with chances to pull off jaw-dropping tricks, all set to an electrifying soundtrack featuring YMCK, Trasto NueveVidas, and more!
Developer: Wabisabi Design, Inc.
Coming to: PC & Consoles (TBA)
YouTube Trailer: youtu.be/3hH9sIotgOk
Steam Page: store.steampowered.com/app/3082730/HYPERyuki_Snowboard_Syndicate
Katanaut
Katanaut is a fast-paced, Metroidvania-inspired action roguelite blending fluid combat and cosmic horror. Slash, dodge, and wield powerful abilities as you battle through a station sprawling with twisted, once-human horrors.
Adapt, survive, and descend into the shadows to uncover dark secrets.
Lovingly dubbed “Dead Space Cells” by early fans.
Developer: Voidmaw
Coming to: Out now on PC, consoles TBA
YouTube Trailer: youtu.be/OAvYl2TOwPY
Steam Page: store.steampowered.com/app/3032830/Katanaut