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, using drone technology 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 film choreography and camera techniques. With that in mind, here's everything we know about the Spine release date window, trailers, and more.
Spine release date estimate
We expect Spine to launch in mid-2026, based on a recent update from developer Nekki. Spine was originally slated for a late-2025 release, but was delayed. Spine will launch on PC via Steam, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch 2.
Nekki originally announced that Spine would arrive in 2025, via a press release accompanying its Future Games Show 2024 gameplay trailer. However, we've now ticked over into 2026 with no sign of life. On December 29, the studio posted on socials that the game's "now entering the final stages of development," and that we'll hear more news on its release date "in the near future."
The official cinematic trailer from 2021 mentioned that a version of the game was also apparently coming to iOS and Android mobile devices, though it has since been quietly dropped. Check out the latest news on whether Spine is on Game Pass or not.
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.
Spine trailers
The very first full-fledged 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 Spray Paint and Camerawork trailer showcases a blend of traditional, side-scrolling, 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.
Most recently, the Freeflow Combat Design trailer does what it says on the can, taking us through several fluid combat sequences. We don't really learn anything new here, but the game is looking incredibly polished as we hurtle towards launch.
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. Game director Dmitry Pimenov calls it an "action movie within a game."
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.
Thanks to its Intellectual Camera System, Spine doesn't stick to a single perspective. Alongside the standard follow-along camera, you can experience side-scrolling and 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
While there's been no update on the Spine release date following the press release window of late 2025, Nekki has since reiterated that it's "deep in development." A recent dev blog suggests that it's currently in the testing and refinement stage.
Spine was initially announced as a "team-based PvP action game (3-vs-3 player)" according to a Nekki Facebook post. However, it's since shifted focus to single-player only; this abrupt change in direction is likely responsible for Shift's extended development time.
We also know that Spine runs on Unreal Engine 5, which certainly helps to reinforce the cinematic feel that Nekki is going for in its visuals. The benefits of UE5 extend to animations, too. According to Nekki, Spine's character rigs are inspired by MetaHuman, a built-in character creator that allows extensive customization.
Perhaps the most significant instrument in Nekki's animation toolbox is Cascadeur, an in-house animation program that the studio has been developing for over a decade and a half. "It lets us polish mocap data without losing realism," a dev blog clarifies.
The studio shoots motion capture at over 120fps. Its crew of professional stunt performers and martial artists use full-body Xsens suits, which were also used in other dynamic videogames like Riders Republic and Creed: Rise to Glory.
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.