Publisher Reef Entertainment and developer Bitmap Bureau have published a new Terminator 2D: No Fate trailer, showing off how next month’s arcade-inspired action game reimagines the events of Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
It’s a two-and-a-half-minute look at a modern take on retro gaming that debuted as part of IGN Fall Fan Fest 2025. Director James Cameron’s original ‘90s sequel has been picked apart by movie fans for decades, and Terminator 2D: No Fate aims to let players experience fan-favorite moments – and new scenarios, too.
As Bitmap Bureau lead programmer and designer Mike Tucker explains in today’s trailer, a Terminator 2D: No Fate playthrough begins simply enough, with players tasked with revisiting the events of the Terminator 2 movie through the lens of a 2D, retro side-scroller. That No Fate title then takes over on repeat playthroughs, as fans are given the option to make choices that alter the story they’ve known for years.
Secret levels and remixed weapon loadouts are just the tip of the iceberg for Terminator 2D: No Fate. The example we see in today’s IGN Fall Fan Fest 2025 trailer revisits Sarah Connor’s trek through Cyberdyne HQ. Players will first fight through waves of SWAT officers by using little more than Sarah’s pistol and a few well-timed punches. A follow-up playthrough, coupled with different choices, however, could see her use an assault rifle to go in guns blazing while Arnold Schwarzenegger’s T-800 tears through enemies with his minigun.
“Adding in this pivotal decision the player must make gave us a way of staying accurate to the movie,” Tucker explained, “while also opening up the possibility of new scenarios and gameplay ideas that could make repeat playthroughs both rewarding and entertaining, allowing fans of the franchise to experience battles they have only ever dreamed of before.”
Following a recent delay, Terminator 2D: No Fate has a release date of November 26, 2025, for PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X | S. For more while we wait to see the multiple new endings it can give longtime Terminator 2 enjoyers, you can read up on why Bitmap tracked down one of the film’s original actors. You can also check out why we think the game needed to be made in 2025.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
