Do you want to live forever? The Federation apparently does — and it also wants you to enjoy a game that looks like it walked out of a PS2 rental store.
A new single-player first-person shooter, Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War!, was unveiled in early December and wears its inspiration on its sleeve. Developed by Auroch Digital (best known recently for Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun) and published by Dotemu, the title reimagines the Starship Troopers universe as a deliberately retro FPS: low-poly models, flat textures, 3D-pixel gore and even FMV segments starring Casper Van Dien reprising General Johnny Rico.
A retro outing for the Federation
Rather than chase photorealism, Ultimate Bug War leans into nostalgia. The trailer intentionally telegraphs that aesthetic — think late-90s console shooters, but polished where it counts. FMV cutscenes give it that movie-tie-in sheen (yes, Rico shows up), while the campaign promises a lean, solo-focused war story set 25 years after the original film.
You play through the eyes of war veteran Samantha Dietz as she hunts a dreaded Assassin Bug across familiar locations like Klendathu and stranger-sounding locales such as Planet P. The campaign is pitched as a "faithful training simulation," which doubles as a thinly veiled recruitment drive — sardonic, in the best Starship Troopers tradition.
Guns, gadgets and some number-shuffling
Promotional material lists the combat toolkit in slightly different ways: Dotemu's press notes highlight 14 weapons, 11 tactical supports and a Mech vehicle, while other blurbs describe "over 30 iconic weapons and items." Both are probably right if you count weapons, supports, mechs and tactical equipment as separate things. Expect the Morita rifle (naturally), mechanical bipeds, tactical nukes and the usual messy bug dismemberment players hunger for.
There’s also an intriguing twist: a training mode that lets you play from the perspective of the Arachnids, a cheeky addition that should appeal to players who like to study enemy behavior as much as they enjoy tearing through swarms.
Platforms and release window
Dotemu says the game is due in early 2026 on PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2. Several outlets flag the Switch 2 release specifically, which matters because Nintendo's platform momentum has been a big story for developers and publishers lately — and it’s one reason third-party ports and retro-leaning indie hits feel like a comfortable fit on the new hardware. If you're still rocking a home console, you can also plan to play on PS5 or the new PS5 Pro hardware as consoles continue to evolve; the PS5 Pro is already a popular upgrade option for players chasing smoother frame rates and sharper visuals (PS5 Pro).
If you're tracking the Switch 2 ecosystem, recent coverage points to growing third-party support and rising forecasts for the hardware’s sales, context that helps explain why a cross-platform retro shooter would aim for the machine early in its life cycle. See how Nintendo has been revising expectations for the platform in light of stronger-than-expected demand and expanding publisher interest Nintendo raises its Switch 2 forecast, and how the machine’s release schedule and third‑party pipeline have tightened up recently third‑party support surging on Switch 2.
Why this matters — and why it might be fun
Starship Troopers as a franchise has always thrived on tone: satirical propaganda, glorified militarism, and huge, stupid bugs. Turning that into a retro FPS is a neat creative move. Auroch has pedigree in this exact lane, and Dotemu knows how to market for nostalgia without being strictly beholden to it. The FMV tie-in gives the package an almost theatrical feel; the training-sim framing lets it wink at fans while still delivering gory action.
There are questions, of course. How deep will the campaign be? Will the retro look be skin-deep or supported by thoughtful modern design choices (controls, accessibility, difficulty tuning)? The answers will arrive with hands-on previews and, eventually, player reviews next year.
For now, the Federation wants you to prepare. If you liked the PS2-era shooters that put gameplay first and aesthetics second — or if you just want to blast giant insectoids while General Rico reminds you to do your civic duty — this one deserves a spot on your wishlist.