GRAVHOUNDS Announced at Gamescom Opening Night Live 2026
GRAVHOUNDS marks the debut project from a studio founded by veterans of two major FPS franchises, and its blend of base-building, roguelike upgrades, and breed-based character differences suggests a deliberate attempt to merge co-op shooter and builder genres.
Key Facts
- GRAVHOUNDS was announced at gamescom Opening Night Live on August 26, 2026.
- The game is developed by Octopus Panic, a studio founded by former Halo and Battlefield series creators, and is their debut title.
- GRAVHOUNDS is a cooperative action-builder shooter supporting up to 4 players.
- Early access is scheduled for release in 2026 on PC (Steam and Microsoft Store) and Xbox Series X|S, with availability on Xbox Game Pass.
- Player characters are humanoid dogs, with different breeds affecting health and movement speed, and the game includes roguelike enhancement choices.
Reporting from 4 sources: 4Gamer.net, Automaton, Denfaminicogamer, Game Spark.
At gamescom Opening Night Live 2026, held on August 26, developer Octopus Panic announced GRAVHOUNDS, a cooperative action-builder shooter featuring canine beast-men. The game supports up to four players in co-op, who descend onto a dangerous planet to build bases, set up turret defense networks, and collect resources while repelling alien threats. Players control humanoid dogs with different breeds affecting health and movement speed, and a roguelike element presents three random enhancements to choose from during exploration. The longer players stay on the planet, the greater the enemy threat and the more lavish the rewards, creating a high-risk, high-return loop. Early access is scheduled for release in 2026 on PC (Steam and Microsoft Store) and Xbox Series X|S, with availability on Xbox Game Pass. Octopus Panic was founded by creators who previously worked on the Halo and Battlefield series, and GRAVHOUNDS is their debut title. The trailer showed dogs comically fighting with firearms, weapon upgrades, and skill trees.
At gamescom Opening Night Live 2026, developer Octopus Panic revealed the early access date for GRAVHOUNDS: November 2. The game is a third-person action builder, per the announcement, and supports both single-player and four-player co-op. The Steam store page already lists detailed system requirements, according to 4Gamer.net. Automaton notes that multiple weapon types differ in damage, fire rate, and magazine capacity, and that enhancements use in-game currency and rewards. If a player takes a fatal blow, they turn into a doll-like form; before that happens, actions such as supplying power to the extraction point or throwing allies out of dangerous zones become important. The trailer showed dogs showing their bellies to appease a horde of approaching foes, as well as firing on giant creatures and using base turrets to repel enemies. The planet is described as "rife with danger," with large aliens appearing as exploration progresses with enhancements. Octopus Panic was founded by creators who worked on the Halo and Battlefield series. GRAVHOUNDS is the studio's debut title. Early access launches on PC (Steam and Microsoft Store) and Xbox Series X|S, with availability on Xbox Game Pass.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 4 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.