Schwarzerblitz

Schwarzerblitz

Released May 2020

Schwarzerblitz is a love letter to '90s 3D low-poly fighters, featuring 28 playable characters, more than 30 stages, ring out mechanics, classic arcade endings, and a complete story mode. Steel your fists and ride the lightning!

97% positive · 228 reviews
Done
All announced content has been released
High confidence
Done
All announced content has been released
High confidence

Where to get it

Free on Steam

Evaluation

Schwarzerblitz launched on Steam on May 31, 2020 and has received a strong run of post-launch content over the years. Three major updates shipped: v1.4.6 on February 16, 2022 (new costumes and stage), the "Tales from the Epilogue" DLC bundle on December 15, 2022 (new stories, costumes, and a stage), and v1.6 on June 20, 2024 (a new playable character, new story content, revised juggle system, and much more). A further feature patch, v1.7.0, shipped on August 11, 2025, adding new costumes and balance refinements based on tournament feedback. The developer has now clearly communicated that Schwarzerblitz is in maintenance mode. On May 12, 2026, developer Andrea Demetrio posted a 10th anniversary message describing the game's journey and calling for "One Last Fan Art Call" — closing language that frames the game as a completed chapter. On June 27, 2026, a follow-up post delivered the anniversary gallery update and a handful of bug fixes, explicitly stating: "While I moved almost full time to Exploding Judo Federation and Schwarzerblitz is now in maintenance mode, I still care about it and want to leave it in the best possible state." This is a direct, unambiguous statement from the developer that active development has concluded. All 13 DLC items have been released, no future content has been announced, and the developer's focus has shifted to a new project.
Evidence
Developer explicitly states Schwarzerblitz is now in maintenance mode and that they have moved almost full time to a new game, Exploding Judo Federation. Delivered the final anniversary fan art gallery update alongside minor bug fixes.
news post · Jun 27, 2026 source development ending
high
10th anniversary post calls for 'One Last Fan Art Call' and thanks players for sticking with the game — reflective, farewell-toned language indicating the developer considers the game complete.
news post · May 12, 2026 source development ending
high

Content

13 of 13 released · no outstanding content

Media

Details

Publisher
Andrea Demetrio
Achievements
27
Platform
Windows
Controller
full support
Steam Deck
Verified
Players
Single-player · Multiplayer · PvP · Local/Split Screen

About this game

"Indie fighter Schwarzerblitz pays tribute to early ’90s 3D fighters" - Shoryuken

"Schwarzerblitz shows love to early polygonal fighters" - Siliconera

Schwarzerblitz is a love letter to '90s 3D low-poly fighters, featuring 28 playable characters, more than 30 stages, ring out mechanics, classic arcade endings, and a complete story mode. Steel your fists and let the Black Lightning strike!

Story

It's 2065 and the world is not what we used to know. Fennoscandia has sunk deep into the ocean, half of Ireland is ridden by haemophages, nuclear power has been replaced by reality-distortion-resonance (RDR) power plants, and an alien planetoid has made first contact for more than fifty years, by now.

In 2064, a major accident shook the whole Europe: Euterpe, the Italian capitol city, was razed by an explosion of incredible power, followed by a storm of black lightnings. The accounts of the witnesses diverged and no light was shed on the real cause of the disaster. After a one-year manhunt, the Delta Team has finally found a consistent trail, which leads directly to a secret government project known as Schwarzer Blitz, "the black lightning"...

Game Mechanics

  • five button system: Guard, Punch, Kick, Tech and Trigger

  • fluid combo system: most attacks can chain into each other, leading to long strings and combos

  • impact attacks: send your opponent flying with powerful blows - if near the border of the stage, this will throw them out of the ring

  • trigger attacks: by using a bullet counter, the next attack will break the opponent's guard and increases the hitstun, leading to easier combos and humongous damage

  • trigger guard / combo breaker: when comboed, you can use a bullet counter to cancel the hitstun and strike back against your opponent

Main Features

  • 28 playable characters

  • A total of more than 100 skins (circa 4 per character)

  • 40+ different stages with animated background elements and ring out mechanics

  • arcade, survival, time-attack... you name it!

  • 5h long story mode with several CG cutscenes, and an overarching story joining all arcade endings together

  • gallery mode, arcade ending theater

  • extensive training mode with frame advantage data, tutorials and trials

  • local multiplayer, both with joypad or split-keyboard

  • 8-way movement in a complete 3D environment

  • extended movelists for every character, listing every possible chain

  • varied soundtrack with different genres and tunes

  • moddable game engine with Steam Workshop support

  • controls can be freely remapped in-game. Both keyboard and joypads are supported (both XInput and DirectInput)

  • a drunken shark-man

  • a politically incorrect robot

  • A FRIGGIN' AUSSIE RAPTOR WITH A MINIGUN!

Last evaluated Jun 27, 2026
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