"We had two main goals for this update," wrote Saros design lead Abebe Tinari on the PlayStation Blog. "Add replayability for existing players who had already plumbed the depth of Carcosa, and make the game more accessible so even more people can discover the addictive, explosive, exhilarating bullet ballet gameplay that made Saros one of the highest rated action games of 2026."
The Zenith Update for Saros is live right now, and it's free. Housemarque packed it with New Game Plus, a full Boss Rush mode, and a handful of accessibility options that should lower the barrier for players who've been on the fence.
What New Game Plus actually changes
New Game Plus in a roguelike-adjacent shooter is a different proposition than in a linear action game. Housemarque has had to think carefully about what carries over and what resets, and the Zenith Update delivers a proper NG+ pass through Carcosa for players who've already seen the credits. The specifics of what persists aren't fully detailed yet, but the mode is clearly aimed at veterans who want to keep pushing the game's systems further without starting completely cold.
Overlord Rush and how the boss gauntlet is structured
The Boss Rush mode is called Overlord Rush, and it's built around sets of up to 3 bosses chained together. You work through progressively demanding groupings until you reach the final set, Totality, which throws every boss in the game at you back-to-back.
Here's the thing: that structure is smart design. It lets players warm up against familiar encounters before the full gauntlet, rather than dropping you straight into a marathon with zero runway. If you've been grinding individual bosses using our guide to beating the Prophet or working through Bastion's phase patterns, Overlord Rush is the mode that puts all of that knowledge to the test in one continuous run.
Auto-fire and the accessibility push
The new auto-fire option is the most player-friendly addition in the Zenith Update. When turned on, your weapon fires automatically whenever it's pointed at an enemy. No button held, no sustained input required.
Tinari was direct about the intent: "We know that some players may find it difficult to hold a button down for extended periods of time, so we hope this will help." The option also frees up mental bandwidth during combat, letting you focus on dashing and positioning rather than juggling multiple simultaneous inputs. The key here is that reloading stays manual, so it's not a full automation of combat. It's a targeted assist, not a difficulty bypass.
Slowing down projectiles is the other accessibility addition, which makes reading bullet patterns more manageable without removing the challenge of the encounters themselves.
A free update for one of 2026's best PS5 games
Saros launched earlier this year as Housemarque's follow-up to Returnal, and the reception was strong. The studio built on everything that made its predecessor work, refined the formula, and delivered a game that sits comfortably among PS5's best first-party releases. If you haven't played it yet, the Zenith Update gives you more reason to jump in now rather than later.
For returning players, New Game Plus and Overlord Rush add genuine longevity to an already replayable game. For newcomers, the accessibility options mean the bullet-hell difficulty curve is no longer a hard wall.
If you're just getting started or need a refresher before tackling Overlord Rush, the Saros guides collection has everything you need to get up to speed.
