The next Tron game will be an isometric action adventure set to be released in 2025.

A new game from the Tron franchise has been announced, titled Tron: Catalyst, which serves as a continuation of Tron: Identity, although it presents itself as a fresh and different experience. While Tron: Identity focused on visual narratives, its new installment will be an isometric action game with a cyclical narrative, scheduled for release in 2025 on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Switch. The development is handled by Bithell Games, a studio recognized for its work on Tron: Identity, John Wick Hex, and Thomas Was Alone.

Players return to the Arq Grid, a virtual environment that has evolved without human intervention, forming an isolated space reminiscent of the Galápagos Islands, inhabited by self-aware software programs. The protagonist, Exo, is a program that can relive fragments of time by exploiting a glitch in the system that others do not perceive. Her mission is to discover and stop the dark agendas of the Arq Grid’s lords, unearthing secrets and evading enemies in each cycle.

Combat in Tron: Catalyst includes both melee and ranged attacks, and as the game progresses, Exo collects data fragments that grant her new abilities. A key element in her fight is the identity disc, which is not only used to stabilize the Arq Grid but can also be customized, allowing players to define their action style. Mike Bithell, the studio's founder, mentioned that each combat scenario is based on the dynamics of the disc, which can be upgraded to suit the player's preferences.

Players will have the opportunity to perform stunts and ride light cycles. Although Tron: Catalyst is accessible even to those who haven't played Identity, fans of the first title will recognize certain characters and locations. The new game aims to provide a narrative-driven experience where player decisions have minimal yet significant influences on the environment.

The dialogue system is interactive, allowing players to make choices that reflect their behavior, whether being sarcastic or polite with other characters, which affects interactions in each cycle. In the demonstration shown, Exo embarked on a mission to modify her identity disc, facing enemies to access a club and fulfill various objectives throughout the loops.

Tron: Catalyst is not an open-world game; instead, it is structured in what Bithell calls "large levels," which take players from the city streets to luxurious penthouses. Throughout the exploration, Exo can add access codes to her disc, facilitating game mechanics and enhancing the experience.

Characters within the world of Tron: Catalyst do not change from one cycle to another, always returning to their original positions. However, Exo's perception of each situation transforms with each new cycle, revealing new paths and allowing the world to respond to changes in her identity disc.

Bithell emphasized that the game focuses on exploring relationships and how characters can be influenced, stressing that while it shares similarities with other games, its approach is substantially more narrative-driven than that of a typical roguelite. This project has a team of about 20 developers and is published by the new division of Devolver Digital, Big Fan, under the official title of Disney Tron: Catalyst.