Samurai Academy: Paws of Fury Brings Co-op Brawling to Consoles and PC This November

Why Samurai Academy: Paws of Fury Actually Caught My Eye

Licensed tie-ins are a coin flip, but this one has a few things going for it. Maximum Entertainment is publishing, with ZEROlife Games and Fishing Cactus developing a follow-up to the 2022 animated film’s samurai beagle, Hank. Samurai Academy: Paws of Fury lands digitally on November 20, 2025 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and Steam, with retail PS5 and Switch copies promised “this year.” It’s an action-adventure with single-player and two-player co-op-and yes, there’s a catch: co-op is listed only for PS5, Xbox Series, and Steam, not Switch.

• Digital launch on Nov 20, 2025; retail PS5/Switch copies expected before year’s end.
• Two-player co-op on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam-Switch co-op is conspicuously absent.
• “Entry-level action adventure” signals a family-friendly brawler with lighter systems.
• Watch for how “accessible open world” and “defend the settlements” actually play in practice.

Breaking Down the Announcement

The pitch is straightforward: Hank and Jimbo are back in Kakamucho, this time up against the Shogun and his cat armies. The language here-“fast-paced, arcade-style combat,” “accessible open-world exploration,” “unique puzzles,” and “colorful missions”—reads like a brawler-adventure hybrid with mission-based progression. The line about “defend the settlements… reclaim the island one battle at a time” suggests you’ll move across zones, clearing out enemy pockets, protecting villagers, and probably tackling a checklist of objectives per area.

The devs call this an “entry-level action adventure for all ages,” which is both a promise and a boundary. Don’t expect Souls-like depth or a character action skill ceiling. Do expect approachable combos, clear telegraphs, colorful vistas, and puzzle beats that anyone can parse. That’s not a slam—family-friendly brawlers can absolutely slap when the feel is right (think TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge nailing crunchy feedback without complexity bloat). The question is whether Samurai Academy can deliver that same “one more run” momentum across its missions.

What the Studios Bring to the Table

Fishing Cactus isn’t a household name, but they’ve put out some genuinely thoughtful games—Epistory and Nanotale leaned into stylish presentation and tactile mechanics. That history gives me cautious optimism about worldbuilding and puzzle design here. ZEROlife Games is a small indie outfit spread across the UK, Poland, and Croatia and has been working on licensed IP projects, which likely helps them navigate approvals and character portrayal—the unglamorous, crucial part of making a licensed game feel authentic instead of canned.

Maximum Entertainment (the AA/indie publisher formed out of a few familiar labels) tends to ship a lot of mid-scope titles. Their output ranges from surprisingly solid to just-okay, but they know how to get a game onto shelves and storefronts. That “retail this year” note for PS5 and Switch is interesting given the late-November digital date; it implies the physical editions might land close to the holidays. Keep an eye on retailer listings for the exact day.

The Co-op and Platform Caveats

Two-player co-op is the headline feature for me, because the film’s energy screams “buddy brawler.” But the press info only calls out co-op on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam. If you’re planning on Switch, assume single-player unless we hear otherwise. Also unclear: couch co-op versus online. Family-aimed games live or die on same-screen play, so if this ends up online-only, that would be a miss. The PR doesn’t specify, so I’m hoping for local co-op by default with optional online.

Switch performance is the other question mark. “Accessible open world” plus split-screen co-op would be a lot to ask from the hardware, which might explain the co-op omission. If the Switch version dials back crowds or environmental effects to keep 30 FPS steady, that’s fine; uneven frame pacing in a timing-based brawler isn’t. We’ll need hands-on to know whether it holds up.

Hype vs. Substance: What to Watch For

Marketing loves words like “unique puzzles” and “colorful missions,” but here’s what actually matters:

• Combat feel: Do hits land with weight? Can you juggle, parry, and crowd-control in satisfying ways without overcomplication?
• Mission variety: “Defend the settlements” can mean tense holdouts—or repetitive escort chores. Variety and escalating modifiers will make or break replayability.
• Traversal and world structure: “Accessible open world” usually means hub-and-spoke zones rather than true systemic sandboxes. That’s fine if each zone has secrets worth finding.
• Co-op design: Are encounters tuned for two players, or does co-op just double enemy HP?
• Monetization: No mention of battle passes or microtransactions in the announcement, which is encouraging. Let’s keep it that way.

One more note: tone. The film leaned into goofball, fourth-wall humor. If the game keeps that charm in cutscenes and barks without drowning the action in noise, it’ll help the whole package land—especially for younger players and parents looking for something cooperative that isn’t a grind treadmill.

The Gamer’s Perspective

This caught my attention because family-friendly co-op has had a sneaky-good run lately, and there’s room for a breezy, Saturday-morning brawler that respects your time. Fishing Cactus’s design sensibilities give me hope for puzzles that do more than “move the block onto the switch,” and the island-reclaim loop could create a satisfying cadence of quick sessions. I’m skeptical of the “open world” phrasing and the Switch co-op omission, but if combat feels right and the mission structure avoids busywork, Samurai Academy: Paws of Fury could be a legit couch co-op pick heading into the holidays.

TL;DR

Samurai Academy: Paws of Fury launches November 20, 2025 on PS5, Xbox Series, Switch, and Steam, with physical PS5/Switch copies due this year. Expect a light, family-friendly brawler-adventure with co-op on everything except Switch (for now). If the combat hits hard and the “defend the settlements” loop has variety, this could be a sleeper co-op win.