WayForward dropped a surprise at Anime Expo in Los Angeles this weekend, confirming that a brand-new Shantae game is in active development and targeting a 2027 release. The studio shared a teaser image featuring a redesigned version of the half-genie hero herself, though the game remains untitled and details beyond the release window are scarce. For fans who have been following the series through its recent revival with Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution, this is the first confirmation that a fully original entry is on the way.
What WayForward actually revealed
The announcement came during a WayForward panel at Anime Expo, one of the biggest anime and gaming conventions in North America. The studio posted the teaser image on Bluesky with the message: "Enjoy this brand-new teaser image revealed at Anime Expo for the next Shantae game, currently in development!" That's essentially the full extent of what was shared. No title, no platforms, no gameplay details.
Here's the thing: for a franchise with a dedicated fanbase, even a single piece of redesigned character art is enough to generate real excitement. The new look suggests WayForward is deliberately refreshing Shantae's visual identity for this entry, which signals a more substantial creative overhaul than a simple sequel.
A franchise finally moving past its revival phase
Context matters here. The most recent Shantae release, Risky Revolution, was not a wholly original game. It was a resurrection of a 2004 Game Boy Advance title that had been canceled before it ever shipped. That project was genuinely compelling for fans who had followed the series since its origins, but it was still fundamentally a recovered artifact rather than a new creative direction.
Before that, the last fully original mainline entry was 2016's Half-Genie Hero, which launched across consoles and PC following a successful crowdfunding campaign. That's a decade-long gap in original Shantae content, with a 2019 Apple Arcade spinoff (Shantae and the Seven Stars, later ported to consoles) filling some of the space in between.
A 2027 release would make this the first genuinely new Shantae game in over a decade, depending on how you count the Apple Arcade entry. That's worth paying attention to.
WayForward's broader track record
WayForward has been around for 30 years and carries a resume that goes well beyond its flagship series. The California-based studio has worked on licensed titles spanning Double Dragon, DuckTales, Adventure Time, and Marvel Puzzle Quest. More recently, the team handled the Nintendo Switch remake of Nintendo's Advance Wars games.
The key here is that WayForward has always treated Shantae as its creative centerpiece, even while taking on contract work. A new original entry suggests the studio has the bandwidth and the intent to push the series forward in a meaningful way.
With a 2027 window confirmed and virtually no other details on the table, the wait for a title, platforms, and gameplay reveal could stretch well into next year. If you want to revisit the series while waiting, the Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution guides are a solid way to get the most out of the most recent entry, and the broader gaming guides hub has plenty to keep you occupied in the meantime.
