Dotemu lets the beat-’em-up go Rogue for its first original IP

Developer Dotemu, Guard Crush Games, Supamonks

Publisher Dotemu

Format PC, PS4, PS5, Switch

Origin France, Canada

Release 2025

After Streets Of Rage 4 set a new gold standard for scrolling beat-’em-ups, we wondered what long-dormant IP its collaborators would work their magic on next. While Lizardcube deepens its partnership with Sega, overseeing the return of Shinobi, Dotemu and Guard Crush have set their sights on something less proven. As we sit in the former’s Paris office watching the announcement trailer, hand-drawn cinematics with thick outlines show first an ominous tower, then a dim interior where soldiers attack helpless villagers, and we instinctively attempt to parse the silhouette of the duo who arrive to save the day. But the penny drops that these aren’t familiar faces such as Blaze Fielding or Gilius Thunderhead. Absolum may take inspiration from D&D and fantasy arcade brawlers such as Golden Axe, but it’s set in an original universe – a tantalising proposition from a publisher whose hits have come from revitalising established IP.

“After Streets Of Rage 4, we were talking with Guard Crush about working together again,” Dotemu CEO Cyrille Imbert says. “We had several IPs in mind, but I pushed for the option to create new IP, because strategically that would be interesting for Dotemu, and we feel more confident with all these years of experience.” While the company does have a track record with original properties via its indie publishing label The Arcade Crew, the vision is bolder here. That’s evident in the energetic art style, which is more than merely reminiscent of French comics and cartoons – all the visuals, from trailer cinematic to animation and backgrounds, are the work of Paris-based animation studio Supamonks.