The scrolling shooter Caladrius 2/Dark Element will be released on December 10, 2026, for PC and consoles

The publisher H2 Interactive, together with studios Moss and Kaminari Games, has set a global release date for the scrolling shooter Caladrius 2/Dark Element: the game will launch on December 10, 2026, simultaneously on PC via Steam and on PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch.

The new entry arrives 13 years after the original Caladrius Blaze and is presented by its creators as a return of the franchise to the classic arcade shooter arena. Its setting is a dark-fantasy world steeped in gothic horror, where players pilot combat flying machines through dense curtains of enemy projectiles in a traditional bullet-hell format, facing multi-phase boss encounters and streams of incoming fire.

Combat expands on the series’ systems with an updated Element Shot mechanic that provides three distinct attack types which can be switched on the fly, plus an Element Chains system that triggers chained explosions to quickly clear groups of foes from the screen.

The sequel also reinstates the series’ controversial clothing damage mechanic, Shame Break, now presented as Evolved. As both player-controlled heroines and bosses take damage, their equipment progressively tears, and explicit illustrations with partial nudity are displayed during flight. The revamped mechanic additionally introduces a cursed aura whose area shrinks based on play quality and shooting accuracy — a feature the developers acknowledge may be provocative given modern platform censorship policies on consoles such as the PlayStation 5.

The narrative follows 16 characters, each with their own flying machine, individual stats, and motivations. Visuals were produced by a team of Japanese illustrators using the pseudonyms Kodama, Suraimu, Rokuwata Tomoe, Sanada Keisui, Harakenshi, and Yoshiku. Story scenes are presented as voiced dialogues in Japanese in a visual-novel style, revealing relationships between the cast before major missions.

Music for the project was led by musical director and main composer Kudo Yoshimi (known for work on 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim and Raiden V), with additional tracks by Hayato Asano (who has contributed to the Atelier series).

Beyond the story campaign, the game will include an Arcade Mode, Boss Rush Mode, Element Mode, and a gallery containing collectible relics, music tracks, and voiceover sets.

On PC, the game requires only 3 GB of free storage space but demands DirectX 12 support. Minimum system requirements list an Intel Core i5-4670K, 4 GB of RAM, and a video card comparable to an NVIDIA GeForce GT 640. Recommended specifications are an Intel Core i5-6600K, 8 GB of RAM, and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 Ti. The title supports local split-screen co-op for 2 players as well as Steam Remote Play Together. The project does not include the Russian language.