Press release:
Philadelphia, PA — Nov. 6, 2025.
The Philadelphia-based (the US) indie games publisher and developer Retroware and New York-based (the US) indie games developer Zenovia Interactive, today announced with great thrill that their cyberpunk run-and-gun, ‘Neon Inferno’, is coming to PC (via Steam) and consoles (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and the Nintendo Switch) on November 20th, 2025.
“The final month or so of Neon Inferno’s development, before we sent off the first version of the game to the platforms, was spent on polish: adding or refining graphical effects, tweaking the balance of each stage and sub-stage, testing, bug-fixing,” said Sri Kankanahalli, studio founder and creative director at Zenovia Interactive.
“We also started to work on the first batch of post-release content, which (in addition to even more polish) will include some standard new modes like boss rush and time attack, plus a couple less conventional features to help flesh out the world of Neon Inferno, which I’ll keep under wraps for now.”
Neon Inferno is a stylish cyberpunk run-and-gun shooter inspired by hits like Contra, Metal Slug, and Wild Guns. Going lone wolf or guns blazing with a partner in the game’s co-op mode, players assume the role of either Angelo or Mariana as they fight for a fledgling crime family striving for power against a corrupt NYPD and other crime syndicates in the war-torn city.
The deadly duo will need to fight their way through an army of heavily-armed cops, trained killers, and mechanized monstrosities. Thankfully, they have a few tricks up their sleeves, including bullet time, which allows them to deflect certain projectiles back at enemies they choose—regardless of whether they’re in the foreground or background!
With multiple upgrades available to unlock and equip between missions, various difficulties to master, an Arcade Mode, and two-player co-op, Neon Inferno offers a full clip of content to blast their way through.
Early reviews of Neon Inferno have been white-hot:
“[Neon Inferno] is an incredibly well-crafted action platformer with amazing visuals, great controls, a tough-but-fair level of difficulty, and some visceral setpieces,” — Way Too Many Games
“Much like other games that have been published by Retroware, Neon Inferno delivers intense arcade action. Its visuals and audio are fantastic, backed by chaotic, fun gameplay,” — I Dream of Indie
“I already gave GOTY to Night Striker Gear and I can’t take that back, so Neon Inferno gets the Miller High Life Award as it’s the champagne of retro gaming. Also I just made that award up off the top of my head,” — Video Game Esoterica
Key Features:
Shoot close, aim far: a dynamic blend of side-scroller and gallery-shooter, where the action takes place in both foreground and background (like playing Contra and Wild Guns at the same time).
Glorious 32-bit Style: A sci-fi cityscape rendered in beautiful pixel art and backed by an evocative soundtrack
Two-Player Co-op: With danger lurking around every street corner, wouldn’t you be better off with a friend?
Satisfying Arcade Challenge: Enjoy a playthrough on an easier mode…or put your skills and resilience to the test with 1-credit-clear arcade mode.
“I’m incredibly excited to finally share Neon Inferno with the world, after almost four long years of development, and I’m thrilled by the early response to the game, which seems to be almost unanimously positive,” added Kankanahalli.
“There’s no doubt: November 20th will be overwhelming. All I’ll do that day (and likely the first few days after) is furiously refresh the first player reviews, reading or watching your reactions. For without you, my studio doesn’t exist, and without my studio, I don’t exist. So thank you for all of your patience and your support over this time.”
Neon Inferno will be available digitally for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam. Pre-orders for the physical edition will open on Tuesday, November 25 at Limited Run Games and run through Sunday, December 28. Be sure to Wishlist your copy on Steam today. And if you want to get an early taste of the brutal and bloody action, be sure to download the demo.
About Zenovia Interactive:
Neon Inferno is the second title from Zenovia Interactive, a fully remote and international game studio based in New York City and founded by Sri Kankanahalli in 2019. The company’s previous title was Steel Assault, released in late 2021.
About Retroware:
“We’re all about modern retro games. We develop, publish, make merch, and run arcades. Bringing you retro experiences with modern conveniences.”
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Jonas “O.J” Ek
The Gaming Ground
Twitter: @TheGamingGround
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Tags: Cyberpunk, Indie games, Neon Inferno, Nintendo Switch, PC games, PS5, Retroware, Run-and-gun, Xbox Series X, Zenovia Interactive