Behind Shard Squad: Meet the developer before the console launch on July 30
With its console launch set for July 30, 2026 on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2, Shard Squad continues its journey toward a brand-new audience.
To celebrate this final stretch before launch, we spoke with Rennan Costa, the game's creator, who shared how Shard Squad came to life, the challenges of developing an indie game without funding, and the inspirations behind the world of Mellunia and its memorable characters.
From a learning project to a complete game
Every game has its own story. In the case of Shard Squad, it all began as a personal Unity learning project.
Todo jogo tem uma história. No caso de Shard Squad, tudo começou como um projeto pessoal para estudar Unity.
"The game started as a Unity learning project. After I shared the prototype, a lot of people encouraged me to keep working on it. That's when Shard Squad was truly born."- Rennan Costa, Creator of Shard Squad
Originally known as Pokémon Survivors, the prototype gained attention after being shared online. The positive response encouraged Rennan to continue developing the project, transforming it into the original universe that players know today.
The biggest challenge was reaching the finish line
Creating mechanics, characters, and maps was only part of the journey. According to Rennan, the greatest challenge was developing an independent game without any external funding, balancing scope, deadlines, and priorities to deliver a polished and complete experience.
"Developing an indie game without funding was, without a doubt, the biggest challenge. Learning how to prioritize and seeing the project through to the end became the greatest lesson of this journey."- Rennan Costa, Creator of Shard Squad
That experience brought valuable lessons and helped shape the identity that defines Shard Squad today.
Characters designed to win players over
Beyond its fast-paced combat, Shard Squad features characters with their own personalities, stories, and relationships.
There are even characters inspired by the developer's real-life pets, turning personal memories into part of the game's universe.
As Rennan explains, one of the team's main goals throughout development was to create characters that players could genuinely connect with, making every member of the squad feel like much more than just another combat ability.
"More than anything, we wanted players to build an emotional connection with the characters. Every Shard has its own story, relationships, and personality."- Rennan Costa, Creator of Shard Squad
Much more than a Bullet Heaven
Shard Squad combines intense action with progression systems, elemental synergies, dozens of relics, and a wide variety of strategic possibilities.
Throughout the adventure, players can build different squads, explore the lands of Mellunia, face more than 200 enemy types, and defeat dozens of unique bosses, making every run feel different from the last.
The launch is almost here
Shard Squad launches on consoles on July 30, 2026.
Until then, players can already wishlist the game on their preferred platform and stay up to date with all the latest news leading up to launch.