In Brief:
- Worms: Galactic Tactics was unveiled by Team17 and studio Absolutely Games at Gamescom Opening Night Live 2026, with a 2027 release lined up for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC via Steam.
- Instead of the series’ familiar 2D side view, the spinoff runs on isometric 3D turn-based tactics, structured around roguelike runs, destructible arenas and a weapon mod system.
- Team17 also confirmed that a second Worms game is in development. For now it goes by the plain title “Worms,” with no platforms or release window announced.
Team17 pulled the covers off Worms: Galactic Tactics during the Gamescom Opening Night Live pre-show, locking in a 2027 launch across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC via Steam. Development duties fall to Absolutely Games.
This entry pushes the franchise off its flat plane. Fights play out in turn-based fashion across isometric 3D arenas, landing nearer to XCOM than to Worms Armageddon, though the destructible terrain, the voice lines and the weapon design that define the series all remain.
Worms are back and are taking an explosive leap into tactical 3D roguelike combat!
Introducing Worms: Galactic Tactics! Assemble your custom squad of Worms and battle to survive!
Fight in fully destructible arenas
Upgrade and reinvent classic Worms weapons
Chain@WormsView on X ↗
How a run works
The loop starts with assembling a custom squad and stepping into the Galactic Gauntlet, a multi-stage deathmatch that piles on fresh enemies and upgrades battle after battle. Every run finishes in death, at which point players spend a resource called Juice on worm upgrades before diving back in.
Battlefields stretch from Candyland to Emperor Flugg’s palace. Team17 frames the campaign as an ascent toward “the gauntlet’s ruthless kingpin: the magnificent Emperor Flugg!”
Landing a shot takes work. Weapons rely on skill minigames to connect, with elevation boosting accuracy and well-timed shots dealing critical damage.
Weapons, squads and 1v1
Between fights, a mod system lets weapons take on additional properties, which means a new set of upgrade choices after each battle. Series staples come back next to newcomers such as the Beambow, Meteor Sheep and Die-napple.
Names, hats, voicebanks and gravestones are all part of squad customization.
Beyond the gauntlet, the Steam listing tells players they can “show off your skills in 1v1 multiplayer, both locally and online.” The game’s Steam tags cover Turn-Based Tactics, Roguelite, Grid-Based Movement, 3D Isometric, Character Customization and Class-Based Combat.
The setup
A flying saucer abducts three worms — Moe, Pinky and Grunch — and presses them into the 99th Intergalactic Jamboree. Presiding over it all is High Emperor Flugg, while Duke Marigold calls the action. One trillion Flugg Buxx is on the line.
A second Worms
The announce trailer closed with confirmation that another Worms game is in development. No subtitle has been attached to it yet, and Team17 has shared no platforms, release window or gameplay details.
The result is two announced projects running side by side, a situation the series hasn’t seen in years.
From occupied France to the gauntlet
Absolutely Games is a UK outfit set up in late 2019 by industry veterans, with a focus on strategy and tactical titles for PC and consoles. Team17 also published the studio’s previous game, Classified: France ’44.
That release arrived March 5, 2024 on PlayStation 5, Windows and Xbox Series X/S. It handed players command of the Jedburghs, special forces parachuted into Nazi-occupied France in the run-up to D-Day, and leaned on a morale system where even missed shots chipped away at enemies. Critical reception came in generally favorable on PC and mixed to average on PlayStation 5.
Galactic Tactics ports that same turn-based framework into Team17’s flagship IP and layers roguelike progression on top.
Leaked first
Weeks of leaks preceded the reveal. Screenshots surfaced first, followed by alleged gameplay footage, then the title and cover art, which appeared on Aug. 20, 2026 in a post from leaker Intercelluar captioned “New Worms game developed by Absolutely Games (Project Arrakis).”
Project Arrakis served as the internal code name. Material leaked under that banner had already revealed the art style, the isometric perspective and a mission structure broken into multiple stages with upgrades available in between.
Those leaks were traced to a Team17 playtest hosted on Steam. In one leaked image, the selected build was labeled “team17_playtest.”