What to know

  • 4:Loop is a four-player co-op shooter set in a new sci-fi universe from SIE and Bad Robot Games.
  • It features wide-open environments, improvisation-heavy gameplay, and systems that encourage experimentation.
  • It has roguelike elements that enable unique equipment combinations and creative strategies for each run.
  • Players aim to disrupt an alien mining operation, survive three Acts, and destroy the Mothership.

Sony Interactive Entertainment and Bad Robot Games have announced their new game, 4:Loop, a four-player co-op shooter set in an original science-fiction universe. The reveal took place during the 2025 TGAs, showcasing gameplay built around dynamic cooperation, player improvisation, and a progression framework designed to reward experimentation.

Executive Producer Alison Sluiter confirmed the project publicly, noting that both teams are finally ready to share what they’ve been building. Players can wishlist the title now on PlayStation Store and Steam.

Mike Booth, known for his foundational work on Left 4 Dead, shared key insights into how that legacy influences 4:Loop. Elements such as assisting teammates, rescuing downed allies, and coordinating survival efforts remain core pillars, but 4:Loop broadens the formula with open environments and player-driven strategy. Notably, players can pick up and carry incapacitated teammates, fulfilling a long-standing design ambition from Booth’s earlier work.

Roguelike systems and emergent strategies

4:Loop incorporates roguelike and roguelite elements, enabling fresh combinations of gear and abilities each session. Booth emphasized his goal of ensuring players can quickly jump into a session without the friction of heavy pre-game setup. The emphasis is improvisation: players adapt on the fly, test combinations, and uncover unexpected strategies.

The team highlighted internal playtest examples, including the creative use of Blink Berries, throwable items that teleport anything in their blast radius to another location. These mechanics create high-ceiling moments where skilled players can “break the game” in ways the developers didn’t fully anticipate.

Across a run, the player squad disrupts the aliens’ global mining network to draw the attention of the Mothership. Successful missions allow for equipment upgrades that build toward a final boss encounter at the end of each Act. Surviving all three Acts results in the destruction of the Mothership and the saving of the world. Meta-progression layers and world knowledge enrich long-term play.

Closed playtests incoming

Additional details will roll out in the coming months. Players interested in participating in early testing sessions can sign up at PLAY4LOOP.COM for a chance to join upcoming closed playtests.

4:Loop is positioned as a systems-driven co-op shooter that encourages creativity, teamwork, and iterative mastery. More updates are expected as development progresses.