‘RoboCop’ Returning, But Not How Fans Expected

RoboCop is officially making a return, but it’s probably not how fans of the sci-fi action series were expecting. According to GameSpot, a brand new RoboCop video game is on the way and should be available by 2023. The game is titled RoboCop: Rogue City, and it is being developed by Nancon and Teyon, the team that gave the world Terminator: Resistance.

In RoboCop: Rogue City, players will control Alex Murphy AKA RoboCop, and will be tasked with saving Detroit from both small-time criminals and “crooked corporations.” The game will be a first-person shooter, and it will be available for both PC and console gaming. “We’re delighted to be teaming up with MGM to offer a new vision of a popular franchise that was created over 30 years ago. This game is the perfect fit to pursue our aim of offering different gaming experiences to the widest possible audience,” said Nacon CEO Alain Falc.

The game is being developed in coordination with Metro Goldwyn Mayer, the media production company that owns the rights to RoboCop. “We’re very much looking forward to collaborating with Nacon and Teyon to bring one of MGM’s most timeless IPs back to gaming platforms with a brand-new story,” said MGM boss Robert Marick in a statement on Rogue City. “The film is known for gripping action and complex storytelling, and we are excited for RoboCop fans to experience this first hand through the game.”

The first RoboCop movie debuted in 1987, written by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner and directed by Paul Verhoeven. The film stars Peter Weller as Murphy, a Detroit cop who is killed in the line of duty and then brought back to life as a nearly invincible police cyborg. The film was a significant success and went on to spawn two sequels: RoboCop 2 (1990) and RoboCop 3 (1993). While the original creative team did not return for the sequels, Verhoeven and Neumeier did later work on another sci-fi cult classic, 1997’s Starship Troopers.

Over the years, there were also a number of different RoboCop TV series. Two of the shows were animated, and two were live-action. It was reported in 2019 that a new RoboCop TV was being developed and that another film sequel might happen.

In 2014, the franchise got a reboot in the form of a new RoboCop movie, which was inspired by the original film. It was co-written by Neumeier and Miner, along with Joshua Zetumer. The film was directed by José Padilha (Netflix’s Narcos) and starred Suicide Squad actor Joel Kinnaman as the new Alex Murphy.