From Press Release:
3 September 2025 – Independent developer Strangely Named today announced that its frantic roguelike arcade shooter, OBLITACRATER, will officially release on Xbox and PlayStation platforms next year, with the game slated to hit v1.0 and leave Steam Early Access at the same time.
OBLITACRATER quietly launched into Early Access on Steam earlier this year, giving its developer a chance to gather valuable feedback from early players. Now, with console versions confirmed and a full release on the horizon, Strangely Named is preparing to take OBLITACRATER to a wider audience.
In OBLITACRATER, every drop onto the beautifully stylised world is a high-stakes gamble. Capturing the essence of arcade classics like Space Invaders, it blends pick-up-and-play accessibility with modern roguelike design and bold, fast-paced action. Players battle through endless swarms of enemies and adapt their ship with powerful upgrades.
But chasing those scores is not without risk. At any point, players can eject from the battlefield and bank their score. Then, they can decide whether to stick or twist, by submitting their score to the leaderboards or returning to the planet to push for more. If you’re destroyed, your entire score to date resets to zero. Every run becomes an increasingly tense gamble between safety and glory.
There is no pre-defined endpoint in Oblitacrater. It’s up to you when to escape.
Key Features
- Compete for leaderboard dominance with Ranked, Friends and Timed scoreboards
- Escape early to bank your score, or risk it all for a higher run
- Unlock and combine dozens of ship upgrades and weapons
- Face unpredictable swarms, bosses and escalating enemy waves
- Bold, impactful audiovisual design on a cute-but-deadly planet
The game’s creator, Sen, said: “We stealth-launched the game into Early Access to test the game’s core concept with a small group of players. There really aren’t any games that have the same loop. The way you can drop down and then end the run at any point, that isn’t something you see in games.”
He added: “It’s all about the risk/reward. We wanted something that got harder to play not because the game got harder, but because you’re putting more at risk every time you play. Every time you drop down, you add to the tension, you add to the risk. We’ve found it makes for some really balanced and competitive leaderboards, and we’re looking forward to seeing how it resonates with a wider audience.”
To celebrate today’s announcement, OBLITACRATER is available at a limited-time 90% discount on Steam Early Access. With community feedback shaping development, the studio plans to roll out further updates leading up to the console and PC launch next year.
Check out an early version on Steam, join the fight for leaderboard dominance, and prepare for the full release of OBLITACRATER on PC, Xbox and PlayStation in 2026.
