One of the more unsung announcements from this year's Gamescom that has me personally excited is that Shadow of the Road, an upcoming CRPG published by Owlcat Games of Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader fame, has revealed that it's releasing on November 12, 2026, for PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and GOG.
This game has you command a group of ex-samurai and Shogun retainers traveling with a child gifted with mysterious powers, his mother, and their massive bodyguard on a quest to put an end to a bloody civil war that's tearing Japan apart.
Shadow of the Road will have you explore a gritty, alternative history version of Japan in 1868 where Steampunk technology reigns supreme, manage a team of powerful warriors in intense tactical turn-based battles, make tough dialogue choices that will determine the course of the story and your party's friendships, and obtain the dark power of being able to transform into horrifying yōkai in battle.
I previewed Shadow of the Road's alpha test back in 2025, and I was rather enthralled by its Japanese setting, in-depth turn-based combat, and unique take on dialogue choices in RPGs, as it allowed the entire party, not just the main character, to have dialogue options during conversations based on who the player wants to speak first.
So I can't wait to finally play the full version when Shadow of the Road launches on PC this November.
Although I'm sad that there's no word of Shadow of the Road releasing on Xbox anytime soon, as this game would be cool to play on Xbox Ally via Xbox Play Anywhere, like Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader was.
But who knows? If this game does well on PC, maybe it will release on consoles at some point later? Only time will tell the answer.
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