Shadow Labyrinth offers a surprising reinterpretation of Pac-Man in the style of Hollow Knight.
A new Pac-Man game is coming that won't be what you expect. Introducing Shadow Labyrinth.
Bandai Namco unveiled a new Pac-Man game during the Game Awards 2024, and it comes as a surprise to many. This title, titled Shadow Labyrinth, is a 2D action-adventure game set to release in 2025 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC. The new installment drastically transforms the classic franchise, adopting a dark and eerie tone.
The first trailer of the game gives players a glimpse into a dark fantasy adventure, evoking the atmosphere of Hollow Knight. In this preview, we see a character described by Bandai Namco as “the Swordsman,” navigating 2D environments while a glowing sphere—shaped like Pac-Man—floats above him. This direction marks a clear deviation from what has previously been done in the series, both in terms of genre and setting.
Before the reveal, producer Seigo Aizawa shared details about this surprising project, which was developed internally at Bandai Namco by a team that has been working on the series for a long time. Aizawa, who was previously the producer of Pac-Man 99, has experience in creating Pac-Man derivatives. According to him, the goal is to introduce a new type of player to the world of Pac-Man. "Historically, Pac-Man has been a family game, and we wanted to reach a new fan who has never played Pac-Man before," he commented. With this in mind, the team returned to the origin of the game in mazes and determined that a 2D platforming game could be the most suitable genre, leading to the idea of a darker Pac-Man.
Aizawa pointed out that while the game may look completely different from traditional Pac-Man titles, it shares some fundamental principles, such as the concept of a maze, eating, and how dynamics can change suddenly. Although he did not explicitly use the term Metroidvania, his description suggests that players will be able to explore in a non-linear manner and collect items to expand their abilities.
The term maze has been redefined here to refer to a specific style of 2D map in the style of Metroid. Although the team has been reserved about specific details—Aizawa would not confirm the presence of the ghosts from the arcade game, but hinted that there are surprises to be discovered—he revealed that the sphere accompanying the Swordsman is not Pac-Man, but a character named Puck, referencing the original name of the series, Puck Man. This character carries an air of mystery due to his long time in the maze and his unclear motivations for helping the Swordsman.
Those who have seen Amazon's new video game anthology series, Secret Level, may notice similarities between the Pac-Man episode and Shadow Labyrinth, which is not a coincidence. Aizawa explained that the game was already in development when Amazon approached with the idea for the project, allowing a natural link between the two. "The idea for Shadow Labyrinth began four years ago. While we were in production, we received Amazon's proposal, which led us to reframe Shadow Labyrinth to see if they were interested in interpreting the story," Aizawa stated.
The team decided that Shadow Labyrinth would be the ideal game to celebrate Pac-Man's 45th anniversary, even though it was not originally conceived as a commemorative release. They recognize that it will not be to everyone's taste, but they are committed to maintaining the series' central theme: "making an impact." Given the surprising nature of the Shadow Labyrinth trailer, it seems they are already fulfilling that promise. The release is scheduled for 2025 on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.