Raven Studio has officially revealed Cats in the Shell, a mech-building roguelike auto battler coming to PC via Steam Early Access in Q4 2026. The newly formed studio, made up of industry veterans from Tencent and NetEase, is working with publisher Infini Fun on this delightfully unhinged debut project.
As per the press release, players can also jump into a seven-day public playtest on Steam now, which is handy if the words “cat pilots in giant war machines” have already done serious damage to your wish list.
Build the Ultimate Mech, Then Hand It to a Cat
In Cats in the Shell, players command huge combat machines across steel-clad battlefields. There are six distinct mech types to choose from, each built around a roguelike progression system that lets you tinker, tweak, and probably overthink every moving part.
Of course, even the best war machine needs the right pilot. That is where the feline fighters come in. Each cat pilot brings their own active abilities and strategic focus, giving players more ways to shape their battle plan before the metal starts flying.
Over 1,000 Parts, Plenty of Mech Mayhem
The big hook here is the mech customisation. Cats in the Shell features more than 1,000 equipment pieces and component parts, picked up through random events.
Players can arrange modules across five slots, manage limited inventory space, and hunt for strange but powerful synergies. Once the build is ready, battles play out through auto battler sequences, where clever planning can trigger satisfying chain reactions.
Basically, it is less “press button to win” and more “build an absurd machine and hope your cat knows what it is doing”.
The story campaign will take players through four futuristic biomes, complete with towering bosses to bring down. There is also asynchronous PvP, where players face unexpected battle frames assembled by others around the world.
Each run challenges players to refine their loadouts, adapt after every fight, and chase a gauntlet of 10 cumulative victories.
Raven Studio director Alex Dong said Cats in the Shell’s “detail-oriented, satisfying mech building and roguelike randomness” will keep players on their toes. He also teased more “cutting-edge mechs and adorable cats” later this year.
Cats in the Shell is set to launch on PC via Steam Early Access in Q4 2026. It will support English, German, French, Russian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese for Brazil and Portugal, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese.
Players can follow the developer on X, join the community on Discord, and search #Catsintheshell on social media for updates.