Shadow Labyrinth release date and when you can play the bizarro Pac-Man metroidvania
The eerie and sinister interpretation of Pac-man's lore, Shadow Labyrinth, is preparing for its debut on various platforms, including the much-anticipated Nintendo Switch 2.
Do you remember Secret Level? We barely do, despite it having its moments. The Prime Video anthology series had a plethora of peculiar ideas about the video games it featured, with the origin of Mega Man receiving a spotlight and a new story involving a mash-up of different properties serving as the most buzzed-about episode, largely due to the surprise appearance of some Helldivers.
However, one episode did manage to raise eyebrows. A dark, sticky and warped version of Pac-Man was unveiled in the episode titled Circle, which reimagined the iconic yellow character as a demonic and savage parasite that manipulates its host into becoming a vessel for its insatiable hunger for all living things. It's an utterly bizarre reinterpretation of what is essentially a pixelated ball navigating a simple maze, but it certainly grabbed attention – and now it's set to grab even more as its video game adaptation, the metroidvania title Shadow Labyrinth, is nearly upon us.
It's slated to launch on multiple consoles, but most notably, it will be part of the Nintendo Switch 2 2025 line-up. Here's wishing it the best, especially as it's launching close to the release date of Donkey Kong Bananza.
The game fully embraces its concept, challenging you to navigate a maze teeming with monsters and horrors, battling your way to the end of what is set to be – you've guessed it – a labyrinthine journey. But when exactly does it drop?
Here's everything you need to know about the Shadow Labyrinth release date.
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Shadow Labyrinth release date
The release date for Shadow Labyrinth is scheduled for Friday, July 18 at midnight local time, excluding most US timezones. This information has been disclosed on the game's page on the PlayStation Store.
This midnight timing is consistent across all timezones except in the United States, where the game will become available at 12am EDT nationwide, resulting in a 9pm PDT / 11pm CDT launch time on Thursday, July 17. It's a somewhat perplexing arrangement, but at least players across the US might have the opportunity to start playing the game simultaneously with their mates on the other side of the country.
After all, uncovering this peculiar world and deciphering all its mysteries is likely to be a hefty task, so we might require some intellectual reinforcement.
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