If you thought the golden age of 3D platformers was behind us, think again. But also, forget everything you know about collecting coins and saving princesses. At The Game Awards 2025, Day 4 Night Studios—a new team led by Mario + Rabbids creative director Davide Soliani—unveiled Bradley the Badger. It is weird, it is wonderful, and it might just be the most “meta” game ever made.
Voiced by none other than Evan Peters (X-Men‘s Quicksilver, American Horror Story), Bradley isn’t just a mascot; he is a mascot trapped in a development hell of his own making. The trailer showcased a game that is keenly aware of its own existence, blending traditional platforming action with a satirical story about the chaos of game development itself.
A Love Letter to Broken Games
The premise is genius in its absurdity. Bradley is the star of a once-popular franchise who finds himself stuck navigating a series of unfinished, “work-in-progress” game worlds. These aren’t just random levels; they are parodies of modern gaming tropes. The trailer teased worlds like “Badgerborne” (a gloomy, gothic soulslike), “Cyberbadger” (a neon-soaked, glitchy dystopia), and “The Last Badger” (a gritty, cinematic narrative game).
Soliani and his co-founder Christian Cantamessa (lead designer of Red Dead Redemption) seem to be channeling their decades of industry experience into a project that laughs with developers, not at them. The tone strikes a balance between nostalgic fun and biting satire, questioning what happens to the characters when the developers run out of budget or ideas.
The Developer Kit: Your New Superpower
What sets Bradley the Badger apart from your standard jump-and-run adventure is the core mechanic: the Developer Kit. Since Bradley is stuck in an unfinished game, he has access to the tools used to build it. This allows players to manipulate the world in real-time to solve puzzles and traverse obstacles.
The trailer showed off abilities like Scale (shrinking or enlarging objects), Tessellate (making smooth walls climbable), and Debug (which seemingly lets you break the game to bypass impossible sections). You aren’t just playing the level; you are actively redesigning it on the fly. It is a fresh twist that turns the “glitchy” nature of unfinished games into a feature rather than a bug.
Release Date and Platforms
Bradley the Badger is currently confirmed for release on PC via Steam. While no console versions have been officially announced yet, the studio has stated they are “considering further platforms,” so a PS5 or Xbox release seems likely down the line. As for a release date? The Steam page cheekily lists it as “Dec 31, 2049,” but don’t panic—that is just a placeholder (and a very on-brand joke). We can likely expect it sometime in 2026.
Conclusion
With its star-studded voice cast, veteran development team, and a concept that is as clever as it is cute, Bradley the Badger was easily one of the standout reveals of The Game Awards. It is proof that you don’t need photorealistic graphics or a 100-hour open world to make an impression—sometimes, you just need a badger with a debug menu.
FAQs
Who voices Bradley the Badger?
Bradley is voiced by actor Evan Peters, best known for his roles as Quicksilver in the X-Men films and various characters in American Horror Story.
What kind of game is it?
It is a 3D action-adventure platformer with puzzle elements that involve manipulating the game world using “developer tools.”
When is it coming out?
No official release date has been set. The current “2049” date on Steam is a placeholder joke.
Is it coming to consoles?
Currently, it is only announced for PC (Steam), but the developers are exploring console versions.
Who is making the game?
It is being developed by Day 4 Night Studios, a new team founded by Davide Soliani (Mario + Rabbids) and Christian Cantamessa (Red Dead Redemption).