Serious Sam: Shatterverse is a $19.99 co-op roguelite that most critics scored 4 out of 10 and Steam players split down the middle on. It launched August 31, 2026 on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Ten days later it holds a Mixed rating from 641 Steam reviews, 51% positive, and not enough critic reviews for Metacritic to calculate a Metascore.
That makes it a hard game to get a straight answer on. The big outlets mostly haven't reviewed it yet, and what reviews exist split into two groups: people who wanted a fifth mainline Serious Sam and feel cheated, and people who judged it as a roguelite and found a decent shooter under a grindy upgrade system. This page pulls both groups together. Respawno has not played Shatterverse; everything below comes from published reviews, Steam user reviews, the developer's own patch notes and store data, all linked in the Sources section.
Note
Key Takeaways
- Steam: Mixed, with 327 positive and 314 negative reviews as of September 10, 2026.
- Critics: 4 to 7 out of 10. TheSixthAxis and The Wand Report gave 4/10, DayOne 7/10.
- The main complaint is progression. New guns and characters cost a rare currency, so early runs use a pistol, shotgun and tommy gun.
- Solo is the weak mode. Two reviewers say the game needs a full or near-full squad of five to feel right.
- Stability is uneven. Crashes, falling through floors and co-op desync show up in reviews and on the bug forum. Patch 1 landed September 9, and a balance update is promised.
- Buy it if you have three or four friends who want a cheap co-op shooter. Wait if you play solo or want classic Serious Sam.
Serious Sam: Shatterverse
Game Rating: Mixed (51% on Steam)
Developer: Behaviour Interactive
What Is Serious Sam: Shatterverse?
Serious Sam: Shatterverse is a first-person roguelite for one to five players, published by Devolver Digital and developed by Behaviour Interactive rather than series creator Croteam. The Steam listing calls it a "co-op roguelite FPS" where you "stack wild boons" across shifting universes.
Behaviour is the Montreal studio behind Dead by Daylight, and a lot of the negative Steam reviews say so by name. Croteam, which Devolver bought in 2020, gave its blessing but didn't build it. Devolver revealed the game at the Xbox Partner Preview on March 26, 2026, during the series' 25th anniversary, and John Dick is back as Sam's voice.
The premise is five versions of Sam from alternate timelines teaming up against Mental's lieutenants. The launch post lists them as five "totally different" Sams, including a cartoon one. Reviewers name Retro Sam, an alien-armed Sam and an Orphan Sam, and the bug forum mentions a Broken Sam. Only Retro Sam is available at the start.
Why it plays differently from Serious Sam 4
Shatterverse is not a campaign with long open levels. Behaviour rebuilt the series' feel in Unreal Engine and wrapped it in a run structure. The Wand Report describes runs as 9 stages with break rooms, shops, and a boss every third stage. You collect coins, catalyst orbs and weapons as you go, and you lose your in-run build when you die.
It is also not the first Serious Sam spin-off to try a new genre. I Hate Running Backwards and Serious Sam: Tormental both went roguelike before it, which one Steam reviewer points out. Shatterverse is the first to do it in first person with five-player co-op.
What Are Critics Saying About Shatterverse?
Critics range from 4 to 7 out of 10, and the lower scores outnumber the higher ones. Metacritic lists three critic reviews as of September 10 (40, 40 and 65), one short of the four it needs to publish a Metascore.
| Outlet | Score | Headline complaint or praise |
|---|---|---|
| TheSixthAxis | 4/10 | "The progression is awful," plus game-ending bugs |
| The Wand Report | 4/10 | Solo and duo scaling "feel like a slog" |
| PopTopic | 4.5/10 | A competent roguelite that "forgot Sam" |
| The Games Machine | 65/100 | Fun once builds "take direction," but slow to get there |
| DayOne | 7/10 | "Controls like a dream," though too grindy |
| Analog Stick Gaming | Unscored | "Surprisingly shallow," but the combat keeps its feel |
TheSixthAxis gave it the harshest review, calling it "an incredible pitch which should be a genuine joy to play. However, it's not." The reviewer hit players getting stuck when downed and falling through floors, and said it "could be saved by patches."
The kindest review, from DayOne, is still conditional. It praises the gunplay and says the game "looks good enough," then recommends it as a discount purchase for anyone who isn't already a Serious Sam fan, because "it's yet another roguelite in a sea full of painfully similar competitors."
The one thing critics agree on
Almost every review says the shooting itself works. PopTopic says "the guns fire, the enemies fall and the upgrade cards produce the expected shower of bigger numbers." The Wand Report lists the multiplayer shooting and the ultimate abilities as strengths, and Analog Stick Gaming praises the writing.
What sinks the scores is everything around the shooting: the slow drip of new guns, the scaling, and the bugs.
Why Is Shatterverse Mixed on Steam?
Shatterverse is Mixed on Steam because the review pool splits into fans of the older games and roguelite players, and each group judges it differently. The all-language count on September 10 was 327 positive to 314 negative.
Read the most-helpful English reviews and one theme dominates: this doesn't feel like Serious Sam. Long-time fans say the cartoon art style and small early arenas remind them of Fortnite rather than The First Encounter. That complaint shows up far more in user reviews than in critic reviews, and it drives a lot of the refunds people describe.
But the positive reviews come from a different place. One player says they were hesitant after the bad press but "had a great time" in multiplayer and thinks the game is being review-bombed by fans who wanted something else. Another positive reviewer with nearly nine hours says it "needs some playtime (4h+) to fully blossom."
Playtime tells part of the story
A lot of the negative reviews come from people with under two hours played. That is inside Steam's refund window, so plenty of them tried it, disliked it and asked for their money back. The players who stuck with it are more split, and their complaints are more specific:
- A reviewer with 5.1 hours says it "runs perfectly fine," but that a single run takes at least 30 minutes and the meta-currency drips out too slowly.
- An 18.4-hour reviewer unlocked every character, weapon and difficulty, and all but one achievement, and still voted no.
- An 8.4-hour reviewer says the passive upgrades are so strong that you stop picking weapons for specific enemies, which is the core of classic Serious Sam.
That last point is worth stopping on. Older Serious Sam games are about matching the gun to the threat: the rocket launcher for the big thing, the shotgun for the Kamikazes. If the roguelite layer makes that choice irrelevant, the game loses the one habit that made the series its own.
How Does Progression Work, and Why Do Players Hate It?
Progression is the most criticised part of Shatterverse because permanent unlocks cost catalyst orbs, a currency that several reviewers say drops too rarely. New weapons and new Sams both come out of that pool.
TheSixthAxis reports starting with only a pistol, shotgun and tommy gun, and says most upgrades are small stat bumps like a 5% speed increase. The Wand Report adds that weapons you find mid-run are often "just a little bit worse than the ones you already have," so a run feels like "treading water" instead of getting stronger.
Within a run you pick up Intel upgrades (shown as floppy disks) that change fire rate, recoil or abilities, and Trinkets add swappable set bonuses between runs. Devolver's pre-launch weapons post pitches this as spec-ing "to your style of play." The reviews disagree. The choices exist, but they mostly add numbers rather than change how you play.
Health comes from melee finishers
You recover health by weakening enemies and then executing them up close. DayOne likes it because it pushes you to play aggressively. The Wand Report criticises it: finishers have no clear animation or stun state, so they're easy to miss when you need health most. One Steam reviewer compares the movement and finishers to Doom: The Dark Ages, and not kindly.
Is Serious Sam: Shatterverse Good Solo?
Most sources say solo is the weakest way to play, because enemy counts and bosses don't scale well with fewer players. The Wand Report is blunt: "Playing with four friends (or, at a pinch, two) is really the only way to approach Shatterverse."
DayOne calls co-op "borderline mandatory" and says finding an active matchmaking lobby is hard. Several Steam reviewers say the same thing more angrily, reporting empty matches and bosses built for four or five players. Player counts back that up: SteamCharts shows an all-time peak of 223 concurrent players on PC and a 30-day average around 103. Crossplay with PS5 and Xbox is supported, but those numbers still make public matchmaking a gamble.
Solo is at least possible offline. PopTopic notes that co-op runs peer-to-peer with no server dependency, and Devolver's launch post says you can play "completely offline." So go in expecting a harder, lonelier run than the game was balanced for.
If you do play online, some of the lag Steam reviewers describe (rubber-banding and poor hit registration, even within Europe) is a peer-to-peer problem where the host's connection matters. Our guides to fixing packet loss in online games and to bufferbloat when ping looks fine help you check whether the problem is on your end before you blame the netcode.
How Does Shatterverse Run on PC?
Shatterverse's official targets are modest: 1080p at 30 FPS on a GTX 1050 Ti and 1080p at 60 FPS on an RTX 2080, per The Wand Report. Player reports on how it actually runs are much more mixed.
| Tier | CPU | GPU | RAM | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | Intel Core i7-6700 / AMD Ryzen 5 2500U | GTX 1050 Ti / RX 560X | 8 GB | 10 GB |
| Recommended | Intel Core i7-11800H / AMD Ryzen 5 5600X | RTX 2080 / RX 7600 | 16 GB | 10 GB |
PopTopic, testing on a Ryzen 7 9800X3D with an RTX 5090, says the game works harder than its visuals justify. Steam reviewers report forced anti-aliasing, mouse smoothing turned on by default, and performance they call subpar for how the game looks. Others say it runs perfectly fine. The pattern suggests uneven frame pacing rather than a low average frame rate, and that shows up in 1% lows rather than the FPS counter.
One limit on all of this: every scored review we could read in full was played on PC. We didn't find a published PS5 or Xbox performance test, so console players have less to go on than anyone.
The official Steam bug forum has recurring threads about crashes on first launch, crashes to desktop, a "DirectX 12 is not supported" error, maps failing to load for players who aren't the host, and falling out of bounds on the jungle map. If you're hitting hitching rather than crashes, our guide to fixing stuttering in PC games covers the usual Unreal Engine fixes. If it crashes after a set amount of play, this crash guide walks through ruling out your own hardware first.
Steam Deck
Valve's compatibility report lists Shatterverse as Steam Deck Verified, noting that the default configuration is performant and that external controllers aren't supported for the primary player. That is Valve's test result, not a Respawno one. Given the crash reports on desktop, check the latest patch notes before you count on it for a long handheld session.
What Did Patch 1 Fix?
Serious Update #1 went live on September 9, 2026, nine days after launch, and mostly fixes interface and stability bugs rather than the progression complaints. Behaviour says "a larger balance update" is coming next, with no date given.
The patch notes list these changes:
- Camera smoothing is now off by default for mouse and keyboard, and on for controllers. This answers one of the most common early Steam complaints.
- Fixes for the weapon wheel getting stuck on screen after pinging or clicking.
- A fix for a crash when defeating Rogue Netricsa in solo mode.
- A fix for spots where standing on decorations made enemies ignore the player entirely.
- A corrected Flying Razors Intel description, plus fixes for weapons not spawning in Clockwork Arena and for Retro Sam's decoy.
None of that touches catalyst drop rates, starting weapons or solo scaling, the three things critics hit hardest. Whether the promised balance update does is the main thing that could change the verdict.
Who Should Buy Serious Sam: Shatterverse?
Shatterverse suits a group of three to five friends who want a cheap co-op shooter and don't mind grinding unlocks. It is a poor fit for solo players and for fans expecting a follow-up to Serious Sam 4 or Siberian Mayhem.
Buy it if
You have a regular squad of three or four, you enjoyed roguelite shooters like Roboquest or Gunfire Reborn, and $19.99 split across a game night sounds fair. Even the harshest reviewers say the gunplay holds up.
Wait for the balance patch if
You play mostly solo, you get annoyed by slow meta-progression, or you run older hardware and can't afford to troubleshoot crashes. Behaviour has promised the fix; let it arrive first.
Skip it if
You want the huge enemy waves and open arenas of The First Encounter. Almost every negative review comes from that group, and nothing announced so far is aimed at them.
The refund window is tight
Steam refunds cover purchases within 14 days that have been played for under two hours. A single run can take 30 minutes or more, so you'll only get a few runs in before that window closes, and several reviewers say the game improves after the first few hours. That is the real risk with trying it and refunding if it doesn't click.
If you want a co-op shooter with a more settled reputation, our list of games like Gears of War covers cover-based co-op campaigns, and our Halo: Campaign Evolved review covers the year's other big co-op FPS release.
Full Spec Sheet for Serious Sam: Shatterverse
Serious Sam: Shatterverse is a $19.99 co-op roguelite for one to five players, released August 31, 2026 on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
| # | Detail | Specification |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Developer | Behaviour Interactive |
| 2 | Publisher | Devolver Digital |
| 3 | Release Date | August 31, 2026 |
| 4 | Price | $19.99 on Steam, no discount (September 10, 2026) |
| 5 | Platforms | PC (Steam), PS5, Xbox Series X|S |
| 6 | Players | 1 to 5, online co-op, crossplay, offline solo |
| 7 | Engine | Unreal Engine |
| 8 | Run Structure | Nine stages, boss every third stage |
| 9 | Playable Sams | Five, with Retro Sam unlocked at the start |
| 10 | Steam Rating | Mixed, 51% positive of 641 reviews (September 10, 2026) |
| 11 | Critic Range | 4/10 to 7/10; no Metascore yet |
| 12 | Game Pass | Not included at launch |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Serious Sam: Shatterverse worth $19.99?
For a group of three to five friends, probably yes. The gunplay gets consistent praise, and $19.99 is cheap for a co-op night. For solo players, the reviews say to wait for Behaviour's promised balance update, because solo scaling and slow unlocks are the two biggest complaints.
Is Serious Sam: Shatterverse made by Croteam?
No, Behaviour Interactive, the studio behind Dead by Daylight, developed Shatterverse, and Devolver Digital published it. Croteam, which Devolver acquired in 2020, approved the project but did not build it. That handover explains much of the "doesn't feel like Serious Sam" criticism in Steam reviews.
Can you play Serious Sam: Shatterverse solo?
Yes, Shatterverse can be played solo and fully offline, but critics at The Wand Report and DayOne both say the game is balanced around a full squad, and Steam reviewers report bosses that feel built for four or five players. PC player counts peaked at 223, so public matchmaking can be thin.
Is Serious Sam: Shatterverse on Game Pass?
No. It did not launch on Xbox Game Pass. It sells for $19.99 on Steam, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, with crossplay between all three.
Does Serious Sam: Shatterverse run on Steam Deck?
Valve's compatibility report lists it as Steam Deck Verified, meaning the default settings passed Valve's performance and controls checks. External controllers aren't supported for the primary player. Crash reports on desktop PCs are the bigger risk, so check the latest patch first.
The Verdict
The reviews point to a solid shooting core surrounded by a stingy upgrade economy, weak solo scaling and launch bugs. That gap between a good core and a poor structure is why critics land mostly around 4 out of 10 while almost half of Steam reviewers still recommend it.
Our read of the evidence: this is a $19.99 game night for an existing friend group, not a new Serious Sam for fans of the series. Behaviour's first patch arrived quickly and fixed the right small things. Nobody outside the studio knows yet whether the promised balance update touches catalyst drops or solo scaling. If it does, this verdict should change. Until then, wait unless your squad is ready.
Serious Sam: Shatterverse is a trademark of Devolver Digital. The header image shows Devolver Digital's Shadow Warrior series and is used for editorial illustration. Respawno has not played Serious Sam: Shatterverse; this review summarises the published sources below.
Sources
- Valve / Steam, Serious Sam: Shatterverse store page, system requirements and user reviews, retrieved 2026-09-10, https://store.steampowered.com/app/2067210/Serious_Sam_Shatterverse/
- Behaviour Interactive via Steam, Serious Update #1 Live Now!, retrieved 2026-09-10, https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2067210/view/1843481262689910
- Behaviour Interactive via Steam, Serious Sam Shatterverse: Is Available NOW!, retrieved 2026-09-10, https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2067210/view/1842212951310640
- Devolver Digital via Steam, Guns, Gear, & Gains - The Weapons of Serious Sam: Shatterverse, retrieved 2026-09-10, https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2067210/view/1842212951303685
- Metacritic, Serious Sam: Shatterverse reviews, retrieved 2026-09-10, https://www.metacritic.com/game/serious-sam-shatterverse/
- TheSixthAxis, Serious Sam: Shatterverse Review – Sam's first roguelite, retrieved 2026-09-10, https://www.thesixthaxis.com/2026/09/03/serious-sam-shatterverse-review-sams-first-roguelite/
- The Wand Report, Serious Sam: Shatterverse Review, retrieved 2026-09-10, https://report.wand.com/reviews/serious-sam-shatterverse-review
- DayOne, Serious Sam: Shatterverse Review, retrieved 2026-09-10, https://playday.one/2026/08/31/serious-sam-shatterverse-review/
- PopTopic, Serious Sam: Shatterverse Review — A Serviceable Shooter That Forgot Sam, retrieved 2026-09-10, https://poptopic.com.au/article/serious-sam-shatterverse-review-a-serviceable-shooter-that-forgot-sam/
- Analog Stick Gaming, Serious Sam: Shatterverse - Review, retrieved 2026-09-10, https://www.analogstickgaming.com/game-reviews/serious-sam-shatterverse
- Steam Community, Serious Sam: Shatterverse Bugs & Technical Issues forum, retrieved 2026-09-10, https://steamcommunity.com/app/2067210/discussions/1/
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- Wikipedia, Serious Sam: Shatterverse, retrieved 2026-09-10, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serious_Sam:_Shatterverse
- DayOne, Is Serious Sam: Shatterverse on Xbox Game Pass?, retrieved 2026-09-10, https://playday.one/2026/03/30/is-serious-sam-shatterverse-on-xbox-game-pass/
- Valve, Steam Refunds, retrieved 2026-09-10, https://store.steampowered.com/steam_refunds/
- Gagadget, Serious Sam: Shatterverse launches August 31 as a five-player co-op roguelite, retrieved 2026-09-10, https://gagadget.com/en/721320-serious-sam-shatterverse-launches-august-31-as-a-five-player-co-op-roguelite/
- Wikipedia, Croteam, retrieved 2026-09-10, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croteam
- KitGuru, Co-op roguelite Serious Sam: Shatterverse officially announced, retrieved 2026-09-10, https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/co-op-roguelite-serious-sam-shatterverse-officially-announced/
