Hello everyone!
We’re back with our second DevLog, and this one comes with some incredible news. SHADE Protocol has officially reached over 50,000 wishlists on Steam in less than 3 months! 🎉
We’re beyond grateful for the overwhelming support and for every one of you who decided to be part of this journey with us. Your feedback, excitement, and encouragement fuel our team every single day. Thank you for helping us get this far.
Let’s dive into what we’ve been working on since our last update.
Development Highlights
This month, we focused on refining Zura’s arsenal and enemy interactions. Alongside work on the Grappler and many net-new animations for Zura, we’ve also been expanding her move set. We've also taken the time to pay tribute to a dear friend's pet that passed away,
1. Feature Spotlight: Evolving Combat Tools
The Piano Shield - Improving the fantasy of Defense
Shield Charge
Again, thanks to great feedback from our community on Discord, we’ve made several improvements to the Nightfall Shield.
Recent changes:
NEW! Shield Charge / Dash Attack – A high-impact offensive move that doubles as a gap-closer.
Auto-deflects most projectiles
Drags enemies along with Zura
Ends with a big “swat” bash (still counts as Block/Parry).
The Flute Spear - Combat Flow and Closing the Gap
Spear Throw and Spear Rush (Teleport)
We’ve been iterating on the Spear Throw, testing out one of the ideas that came directly from our community discussions: should the ability use a lock-on system or remain a freeform throw? Each approach has its own pros and cons, but so far, we really like how this experiment feels within Zura’s kit.
A quick note about the preview GIF: the speed may look a bit slow compared to actual gameplay. That’s intentional—we’ve slowed things down to clearly show each stage of the mechanic.
The ability itself involves two distinct inputs:
Spear 1 → The initial Spear Throw.
Spear 2 → A chain rush/teleport that follows up the throw.
This layered design opens up new possibilities for combat flow and player expression, and we’re excited to keep refining it further.
Other examples:
Single Target Spear Rush - Here you can see how the Flute Spear helps close the gap quickly.
Single Target Spear Rush (Airborne) - You can target airborne enemies and follow the Spear Rush with other Instruments, like the Guitar Axe Crash. The sky is the limit, literally!
2. New Enemies, Threats, and Combat Types
New Enemy Concept: The Grappler (Codename for now!)
We’ve been working on a brand-new enemy type from the ground up. For now, it doesn’t have a final name, its codename is “the Grappler” (though the real name would give away a little too much).
Unlike the Replicas you’ve encountered before, these machines belong to an entirely different faction. They aren’t inherently “evil,” but they also aren’t allies to Zura. Sentient, intelligent, and fully aware, they exist with a singular purpose, one that puts them directly in Zura’s path. While not as “human-like” as the Replicas, their focus and drive make them formidable adversaries.
The first round of voting that we shared with our Discord community:
The Grappler fills a mid-range threat role. Its signature ability allows it to shoot out an arm, grab Zura, and fling her around the battlefield. In addition, it can perform wide, sweeping mid-range swings that are difficult to avoid. What really sets this enemy apart is its unblockable mechanic, the “get over here” grab cannot be blocked or dodged, forcing players to jump or counterattack to avoid being caught. This introduces a new layer of challenge to encounters, especially when the Grappler interacts with other enemy types (which we’ll reveal later).
While not classified as an Elite like the Exo or the Deathletter, the Grappler has the potential to evolve into one if it becomes exciting enough in playtesting. Its design goal is to shake up combat flow by giving players a problem they can’t solve with simple blocking or dodging, demanding quick reactions and creative counterplay. We've added Zura on the left and the Xavior Exo sprite on the right to show you the sheer size and scale of this enemy!
Size comparison, color variations and details first pass:
We have revealed many more enemies in our Discord Community, more to come on those very soon!
3. Background & Worldbuilding
The world of SHADE Protocol is expanding with new biomes and visual refinements:
City Biome Expansion: A more intricate urban landscape (look out for Zura sprinting through it!).
Rocky & Snow Biomes: New terrain adds variety and atmosphere (sneak peek below!)
Perspective Guidelines: Fine-tuning our style for consistency across environments.
Pickups in Progress: Beta versions of Health and Elythium pickups are in testing, complete with new animations.
Special Doors & Effects: New asset work, including cryptic, thematic doors.
Animated Tiles & Effects: Expanding environmental motion, like the evolving Shade Brambles.
4. Audio Systems
SHADE Protocol continues to evolve not just visually, but sonically. This month we’ve made big strides in sound design:
New Combat Sounds: Added SFX for Spear, Shield, and Axe combos, bringing more impact and clarity to combat.
World Cut SFX + Violin Medley: Implemented fresh soundscapes that heighten immersion during cinematic moments.
Attenuation System: Distance-based audio now rolls off naturally, making environments feel more alive and reactive.
5. Systems and other Development Updates
On the coding side, we’ve been expanding gameplay depth and stability:
Unlockable Instruments & Talents: A new system lays the foundation for progression and player customization.
More Interactable Objects: Terminals, moving platforms, chests, and more are now functional.
Interactive Animations: Doors, switches, and other activatable elements have imported animations.
Chakram Controls Revamp: Improved precision and feel for smoother gameplay.
Snacklet Integration: Work continues on implementing every enemy variant.
Katana World Cut Revisited: Multiple issues fixed for a more polished experience.
Stability Improvements: Numerous bug fixes have made the game more reliable and consistent.
6. Tribute to Mochi
Not long ago, a dear friend of ours said goodbye to their beloved dog, Mochi.
She wasn’t just a pet, she was a guardian, a companion, and a light in the lives she touched.
To honor her spirit, we’ve immortalized Mochi in SHADE Protocol, as you can see in the image below. In our world, her footsteps will continue to echo, running beside travelers even in the shadow.
Mochi also inspired a system we hadn't considered but we're now looking to expand; friendly animals and other creatures (maybe tiny robots?) that Zura will get to interact with, sit by, and definitely pet.
Run free, Mochi.
Your song will never fade.
Once again, we can’t thank you enough for being part of this adventure with us. Your support continues to shape SHADE Protocol into the best version of itself, and we’re excited to share even more in the coming months.
Don't forget to Wishlist and Follow SHADE Protocol, and join our Discord to chat with us directly!
Until the next signal,
—The Little Legendary Games Team
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