Fans eager to get their hands on the upcoming PlayStation 5 shooter Painkiller will need to wait a little longer. Publisher Plaion and developer Saber Interactive have confirmed the game has been delayed, but the announcement comes with a surprise: a brand-new roguelike mode designed to shake up the series’ trademark demon-slaying action.
The original Painkiller, released in 2004, earned cult status for its fast-paced combat, gothic environments, and no-nonsense approach to shooting. The PS5 revival aims to capture that same spirit while expanding the formula for modern audiences. The addition of a roguelike mode seems like a bold step in that direction.
According to the developers, the mode will generate randomized arenas filled with shifting enemy line-ups, unpredictable modifiers, and escalating challenges. Players will have to adapt on the fly as they fight through waves of increasingly chaotic encounters, with each run promising a different experience.
While no new release date has been given, Saber insists the extra time will allow the team to polish the core campaign and integrate the roguelike feature seamlessly. The studio described the mode as “a love letter to players who crave unpredictability and replayability” on top of the story-driven campaign already in development.
For fans of old-school shooters, the delay may sting, but the reveal shows that Painkiller isn’t just banking on nostalgia. It’s aiming to reinvent itself with modern systems while holding onto the raw, frantic energy that made it a cult classic in the first place.
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