When is the Spine release date? If you’re a fan of John Woo films that mix kung fu with pistols, then it’s likely that Spine is on your wishlist. In the cyberpunk dystopian streets, the Tensor AI has taken over the city and is behind the authority’s power via drones to suppress rebellions. Spine puts us in the role of Redline, who has a vendetta against the AI and its ruling elite and will stop at nothing to make them pay.
Gun Fu fans will likely have to wait a long time to play Spine, which is a shame since it has an appealing cyberpunk game aesthetic. This story-based action-adventure game promises a tense “movie-like experience,” that takes advantage of choreography and camera techniques. With that in mind, here’s everything we know about the Spine release date estimate, trailers, and more.
Spine release date estimate
We expect Spine will release sometime in 2026 at the earliest. The gameplay trailer is the first we’ve seen of Spine in two years, and it looks like it’s in very early development. Nekki has announced no official Spine release date.
When Spine eventually emerges from the shadows, its confirmed platforms are PC via Steam, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5. The first trailer mentioned that a version of the game was also apparently coming to iOS and Android mobile devices, though it has since been quietly dropped in the more recent trailer. We currently have no news on if Spine is on Game Pass or not.
Another big snag for fans hoping to see more of Spine any time soon is because of the developer’s other known projects. Nekki also has a Web3 NFT browser game and continuously supports its other mobile games, such as Shadow Fight Arena and the rest of the Shadow Fight series. Understandably, these projects take time.
Spine trailer
The very first Spine trailer from 2021 follows a woman, whose identity is unclear at this point. We see her clamber across skyscrapers in a futuristic town, all while drones and riot police attempt to track her down. Cornered on a roof, we see the soldiers through her digital vision.
As the soldiers open fire, it’s revealed that the woman running was an illusion this entire time and that her real form is hiding on a roof above. In the final few seconds, we see the woman fighting two adversaries who use some spinning momentum attack, as she uses multiple blades and guns to defend herself desperately.
Spine’s official reveal finally came in November 2023, formally introducing protagonist Redline and her AI companion (Cyberpunk Edgerunners fans will appreciate the Sandevestrian styling). We’re treated to plenty of gun fu goodness, slick camera work, and even a peek at some combat environments.
2024 treated us to a double drop on the trailer front, with the bosses and parkour reveal arriving in August, and the spray paint and camerawork trailer below coming along in December.
The former opens with Redline offering up some exposition, orating the main story beats that drive Spine’s narrative. As it transpires, Tensor’s yoinked her brother, making it a family matter. Once again we get to see the protagonist work her magic on big, burly (and sometimes mech-based) bosses. We also get a quick look at the parkour system, which sees Redline flanked at a dynamic camera angle.
Speaking of camerawork, Spine’s most recent trailer showcases a blend of traditional, sidescrolling, dynamic, and even top-down angles (John Wick fans and Hong Kong Massacre enjoyers everywhere liked this). The spray paint mechanic, meanwhile, blinds targets to give Redline a major advantage.
Spine gameplay
Spine’s gameplay mixes gunplay and martial arts – a combination known colloquially as ‘gun fu.’ Redline weaves quick pistol hits in with rapid physical strikes, creating an incredible flow of body and bullet.
From the various trailers we’ve had so far, we can see that Redline will be able to execute targets in various ways, including environmental finishers like throwing people off the sides of bridges. Redline has access to various guns, including pistols and shotguns, though the full arsenal has yet to be confirmed.
Spine incorporates a spray paint mechanic that allows Redline to blind targets with a can of the good stuff. This can also be applied to foes in mechs, as Redline can be seen coloring in a mech’s visor in a couple of trailers.
Spine doesn’t stick to a single perspective. Alongside the standard follow-along camera, you can experience sidescrolling and even top-down sections. A dynamic, off-centre camera follows Redline when she’s parkouring across buildings for even more cinematic goodness.
In addition to what we’ve seen from the trailers, the Spine Steam page references that your cybernetic enhancements are courtesy of the glowing spinal cord attached to Redline’s back. It’s still somewhat early to tell if this is a part of the UI or indicating a choice of perks.
Spine news
The only other thing we know about Spine is that it was initially announced as a team-based multiplayer action game, according to the Nekki Facebook page. However, it’s since been shifted to being single-player only. Spine’s Steam page reinforces this new direction and also confirms the game is being made using Unreal Engine 5.
That’s everything we currently know about Spine. If you’re looking for something to play, we have the best new PC games out in the past year, as well as a list of all the upcoming PC games you can get your hands on in the next few months and beyond.