Bitmap Bureau, developers of Xeno Crisis, is making the side-scrolling action game, Terminator 2D: No Fate. Trailer and details within:
British indie developer Bitmap Bureau, made a mini action masterpiece with Xeno Crisis, a top-down shooter that has appeared on everything from the Sega Mega Drive (its original target platform) to modern systems such as PC and Switch.
It’s rather exciting, then, that the studio has managed to secure the rights to make Terminator 2D: No Fate, a side-scrolling action game that takes the 1984 and 1991 movies and turns them into a 16-bit run-and-gun. Its pixel art is by veteran designer Henk Neiborg, and he’s managed to take key characters and scenes from the movies and turn them into something that looks like a game from the Neo-Geo era.
In essence, it looks like a mix of the 16-bit Contra games, the early 1990s Alien 3 tie-in for consoles, with individual set-pieces that switch genres from rail shooter to belt-scrolling brawler. Due out in September, Terminator 2D has clearly been in development for some time, making it one of the few genuinely welcome surprises we’ve seen emerge from the gaming landscape in 2025 so far.
Read more: Mega Drive | The indie devs still making games for Sega’s 16-bit console
In the 80s and 90s, tie-in games could be a bit of a mixed bag. A heck of a lot of time and affection has evidently gone into Terminator 2D, though, and the result looks like “The T2 game we should have had back in our youth,” to quote Bitmap Bureau co-founder and design director (and programmer) Mike Tucker.
You’ll find the announcement trailer above, and a featurette about its development below.
Terminator 2D: No Fate is due for release on the 5th September 2025 for PC, Switch, PS4, PS5 and Xbox.
