SHADE Protocol Kickstarter Campaign begins today, featuring exclusive physical and digital rewards for donors. Check out what supporters can receive from donating to the game and what goes beyond the Kickstarter campaign goals.
SHADE Protocol Kickstarter Campaign Now Open
Help Expand Development and Receive Rewards
SHADE Protocol, the upcoming cyber-fantasy sci-fi metroidvania, has now opened its Kickstarter campaign. According to a press release by developer Little Legendary, this initiative aims to expand the game’s development while rewarding supporters with unique digital and physical rewards.
Although the studio has yet to specify what type of bonuses donors will receive, they noted that it could range from "items like art prints, pins, plushies, stickers, apparel, a collector box, or other special pieces inspired by the game characters, Instruments, and world."
Meanwhile, Little Legendary Studios CEO and Game Director Kendall Kinones stated that they really wanted to do a Kickstarter campaign for the game. "We feel strongly at Little Legendary that crowdfunding is one of the most community first forms of funding a game. Kickstarter allows us to get the resources needed to build such a large and expansive game while still making sure we have our fans' desires, opinions and critiques at the forefront of our development pipeline," he said.
What is SHADE Protocol?
SHADE Protocol invites players to explore a handcrafted world, master fast and reactive combat, and unlock abilities to alter, cut, and reshape the environment. Armed with new tools, players can return to earlier areas to discover alternate paths, evolve their fighting style, and uncover hidden secrets.
The story follows Zura, a failed experiment slowly losing herself to the SHADE Protocol, who awakens to a world deeply mourning its missing creators. She can utilize special modifiers called Protocols, which change depending on how she fights, explores, and survives.
Zura can also swap between DAWN and SHADE modes to quickly adapt to her surroundings, as well as wield an array of musical weapons, each with its own distinct playstyle. Players can also use perfectly timed parries and counters to restore Echo, a vital energy source that is used to execute powerful attacks and defensive skills.
Reaching Beyond Kickstarter Campaign
With SHADE Protocol’s Kickstarter campaign underway, the developers plan to push "more content, polish, music, localization, animations, bosses, areas, and rewards for the community" with Stretch Goals. Although the game’s development targets are set, these additional goals will help Little Legendary go beyond expectations and produce a "bigger, stronger" title than they envisioned their project.
Alongside this initiative, the studio is also collaborating with Radical Fish to bring CrossCode and Alabaster Dawn crossovers to SHADE Protocol. On May 25, 2026, Little Legendary released a new trailer showcasing what fans can expect from their collaborative three-way pixel title partnership.
In the video, Zura gets unexpected help from otherworldly allies. CrossCode’s Lea and Alabaster Dawn’s Juno appear out of nowhere, helping her eliminate enemies and unleash devastating combo attacks together.
Not much is known about the extent of this collaboration. However, Little Legendary plans to unveil more content on the crossover once fans reach specific Stretch Goals that they have set.
SHADE Protocol is currently being developed for PC via Steam. To stay up to date with the latest information about the game, check out our article below.
Sources:
SHADE Protocol Kickstarter
