Following the success of their debut title The Ascent, the small but ambitious team at Swedish studio Neon Giant has revealed their next project. Unveiled at The Game Awards 2025, No Law marks a significant shift for the developer, moving from a top-down perspective to a first-person, open-world shooter RPG set in a gritty cyberpunk metropolis. The announcement has generated considerable buzz, promising a dense, reactive world where player choice dictates both narrative and gameplay outcomes.
Platforms & Release
- Platforms: PC (Steam, Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
- Release Status: Announced, no release date or window provided.
- Reveal Event: The Game Awards 2025 (December 2025)
A New Vision from The Ascent's Creators
Neon Giant, the studio behind the critically acclaimed cyberpunk action RPG The Ascent, is taking a bold new direction with its sophomore effort. While The Ascent was praised for its detailed isometric world, No Law transitions to a first-person perspective, placing players directly into the neon-drenched, rain-slicked streets of Port Desire. The studio's creative directors, Arcade Berg and Tor Frick, emphasize that this is a completely new fictional universe, unrelated to their previous work, focusing on a more grounded cyber-noir aesthetic compared to the alien-infused sci-fi of The Ascent.
Game Overview
- Title: No Law
- Developer: Neon Giant
- Publisher: Krafton
- Genre: First-person open world shooter RPG / Immersive Sim
- Perspective: First-person
- Player Mode: Single-player only
- Setting: Cyber-noire city of Port Desire
- Protagonist: Grey Harker, an ex-military veteran
Gameplay and World Design Philosophy
No Law is described as a "first-person open world shooter RPG" with immersive sim elements. Players assume the role of Grey Harker, an ex-military veteran drawn back into a life of violence. The gameplay showcased in the reveal trailer suggests a blend of high-octane, Bulletstorm-inspired combat—featuring brutal melee kicks and explosive gunplay—with quieter, stealth-based assassination options. The studio is keen to avoid rigid playstyle definitions, instead implementing an experience point and skill tree system that allows players to specialize in areas like hacking, lockpicking, or specific weapon types, affirming that "the player can never play the game wrong."
Key Features
- Reactive World: Narrative and world state change based on player actions and playstyle, leading to multiple endings.
- Flexible Progression: Experience points and skill trees allow specialization (e.g., hacking, lockpicking, weapon mastery).
- Diverse Gameplay: Supports a mix of loud, chaotic combat and stealthy approaches.
- Studio Context: Developed by a ~24-person team; no generative AI used in development.
A Reactive Narrative in a City of No Laws
A core pillar of No Law's design is its reactive world. Instead of relying on traditional binary dialogue trees, the game aims to have the world and its characters respond organically to the player's actions and methods. Mission givers may comment on the messiness or subtlety of an approach, and decisions to help or eliminate characters will ripple through the narrative, leading to multiple endings. This creates a dynamic where, as the directors put it, the narrative "keeps an eye on you and listens to you." While a full pacifist run may not be possible, the game encourages players to find their own path through the chaos of Port Desire.
Development Context and Studio Independence
The reveal comes amidst a period of change for Neon Giant, which was recently acquired by South Korean publisher Krafton. The directors were quick to clarify that the acquisition has not impacted their creative autonomy, allowing them to focus on development rather than business logistics. They also explicitly stated that, despite Krafton's corporate AI initiatives, no generative AI is being used in the production of No Law. The game is being built by a core team of roughly two dozen people, a scale that Frick and Berg believe allows each team member to leave a strong, personal imprint on the game's world and mechanics.
Platform Availability and Anticipated Release
No Law is confirmed for release on PC (via Steam and the Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. As of the announcement on December 12, 2025, no specific release date or window has been provided. The game will be a strictly single-player experience, with no multiplayer components planned. For fans of narrative-driven, choice-heavy shooters and the cyberpunk genre, No Law represents an intriguing new project from a studio that has already proven its ability to craft compelling dystopian worlds.