Highlights
- Arc System Works is developing a new 3D Double Dragon game to recapture the magic of the classic beat-em-up series.
- The latest Double Dragon entry, titled "Double Dragon Revive," will feature anime-style designs and faithful bare-knuckle action.
- Famitsu revealed screenshots and character artwork, showing off the new visual direction of Double Dragon Revive for 2025.
Arc System Works is developing a new Double Dragon game, and it will be in 3D. Before Arc System Works owned the franchise, the original Double Dragon arcade game helped popularize the side-scrolling beat-up-em genre in 1987, putting players in the roles of twin siblings Billy and Jimmy Lee as they brawled with criminals to rescue Billy’s girlfriend Marion from the evil Black Warriors gang. In addition to the numerous imitators to come in Double Dragon’s wake, the series would spawn several sequels and spin-offs, including a crossover with the similar Battletoads series.
Guilty Gear and Dragon Ball FighterZ developer Arc System Works acquired the Double Dragon license back in 2015, leading to the release of Double Dragon 4 a couple of years later. Reception to this latest entry was mixed, with some reviewers enjoying its retro charm while others decried its aged and repetitive formula. Last year saw the release of a spin-off from Secret Base and Modus Games titled Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons, which served as a prequel to the original arcade game. The reviews were more positive here, though there were complaints about its uneven difficulty and lack of online co-op at launch.
There have been rumors of Arc System Works developing a new Double Dragon entry with the supposed title of “Double Dragon Revive,” and now this has been confirmed. According to the latest issue of Famitsu (via Ryokutya2089), this latest Double Dragon game will faithfully recreate the bare-knuckle action of the classic games, albeit with the character models rendered in 3D using Arc System Works’ experience in the fighting genre. An exact release date for this new Double Dragon entry is still unclear, but Famitsu reports that it will launch sometime in 2025 on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox, and PC.
New Double Dragon Will Have 3D Graphics
Famitsu also included screenshots and character artwork of Double Dragon Revive, showing off the new, anime-style designs for the Lee twins along with classic Double Dragon enemies like Abobo. It looks like Double Dragon Revive will remain a side-scroller with plenty of visual flair in attacks from the playable heroes and opposing minions alike. At first glance, the game’s art style looks similar to last year’s Street Fighter 6.
As noted before, there isn’t any official release date for Double Dragon Revive aside from a vague 2025 launch window, so there will undoubtedly be more information released during the wait for this next entry in the storied beat-em-up franchise. It will be interesting to see what this new visual direction will bring to the next Double Dragon game, and if it will be enough to recapture the magic of past games.
Franchise Double Dragon Released July 27, 2023 Developer Secret Base Publisher(s) Modus Games Metascore 67 Split Screen Orientation N/A (Shared Screen) Number of Players 1-2 Local Co-Op Support 1-2 Players Expand See at Playstation Store
