I’ve been tracking Nekome: Nazi Hunter here at Game Informer since its reveal earlier this year. I finally went hands-on with it during Gamescom 2026 and relished just how disrespectfully brutal it is to Nazis. You will soon get the chance to experience that brutality yourself because developer ProbablyMonsters is releasing a demo on Steam soon on October 19, and it will be available through October 26.
Ahead of that demo launch, ProbablyMonsters also released a new trailer highlighting the game’s narrative and villainous Hyena troupe of Nazi leaders as part of today’s Galaxies Autumn Showcase. These Hyenas are at the center of protagonist Vano’s Nazi hunting, and they are a notorious squad of Nazi agents whose extreme brand of cruelty made them feared across occupied Europe and the world, according to a press release. Players will control Vano as he kills countless Nazis in violent and bloody ways while tracking down each of the Hyenas (who he will presumably also kill violently and bloodily).
Check it out in the latest Nekome: Nazi Hunter trailer for yourself below:
Game Informer also spoke to Nekome: Nazi Hunter game director Jeronimo Barrera about the game in the lead-up to this trailer and the incoming Steam Next Fest demo. In the interview, which took place over email, Barrera talks about the game’s politics (or lack thereof), the Hyenas, visual inspiration, and more:
Game Informer’s Wesley LeBlanc: How did the team decide on the Hyenas as the antagonists/villains of the game, rather than say, the obvious choice of Hitler?
Barrera: As we developed the narrative, we had already committed to pursuing the grindhouse aesthetic that would drive the presentation. We needed a disgusting set of villains that would be fun to hunt down and murder. Although we are rooted in real-world events, the player fantasy we are after is to hunt down and murder as many Nazis, both big and small, and that needs to deliver over-the-top fun.
Can you tell me about the Hyenas? What are their differences from a narrative perspective, and what are their differences from a gameplay perspective? Does each Hyena approach the hunt for Vano in different ways?
We introduce the Hyenas almost immediately in the narrative. After that, the player won’t be confused as to why they need to hunt them down, not the other way around! Vano hunts them down, and each Hyena boss fight is a unique challenge that pushes the players’ abilities.
It sounds like Vano will be hunted across occupied Europe and beyond? What can you tell me about that beyond?
Our research into how we can tell a new story and give a new experience has given us a lot of surprising locations to explore. For example, we were shocked when we realized that we could have our first encounters with Nazis on U.S. soil! Vano’s adopted home is New York City. It’s hard to believe, but there were Nazi Party rallies in New York. This is where Vano starts his hunt through a tragic coincidence, which then takes Vano to Europe. But he’s not being hunted; he is the hunter.
Is there anything larger than life or supernatural or demonic happening narratively, or is it Vano versus some Nazis that are led by the Hyenas? I ask because scenes in this new trailer almost imply some monstrous transformation, or maybe even something vampiric, as blood drips from the Hyenas’ faces (though I recognize that could just be a style choice).
The Nazis were hideous monsters. We play on those themes for our abilities and how we present them to the player. There are themes we explore that could be considered metaphysical. But with that said, it’s up for people to interpret the narrative on their own.
How would you describe the art style/visual design of the game?
Our biggest inspiration came from the grindhouse film genre. Turning the stylized pulpiness and violence of movies like Inglourious Basterds into a video game was a challenge that the team was excited to tackle, and we believe this grindhouse spirit gives our game a distinct visual style.
Graphic novels were another major influence. Our goal with the art style was to create something over the top and entertaining, while respecting the serious subject matter. The game would lose its sense of fun if it looked too real, and graphic novels helped us find a look that is visually interesting yet able to handle the story’s darkness and violence.
How long has the team been working on the game?
The team began working on the game in 2024. The genesis of the game was a meeting inside ProbablyMonsters where we started quoting Inglourious Basterds, and we all became set on the idea of making a game about hunting down and killing Nazis through an untold Second World War story.
How big is the team?
Nekome: Nazi Hunter’s development is led internally at ProbablyMonsters by Brett Bourbin, Brand Inman, Sergei Kuprejanov, Kay Willis and me, with assistance from co-development partners.
What has it been like working on a smaller title like this and what does your AAA experience bring to the project?
Going from concept to the player’s hands in 18 months is an epic lift that’s only possible with amazing devs that bring extraordinary experience and expertise. The AAA sensibilities run deep at ProbablyMonsters; there are some legends in our house. What makes us different is that our independent approach allows us to tell unique stories and make experiences like Nekome that would have a hard time getting to market.
After Gamescom, ButWhyTho? published a story about how Willis said the game isn’t political, and it caused a lot of discussion/backlash about the game. I wanted to see if the team had any follow-up on the idea that Nekome isn’t political now that some time has passed. At least from my perspective, all art is political; not to mention, making a game where you’re very much visibly and graphically killing and mutilating Nazis is sending a very clear message, especially in 2026 when we have people proudly stating they are a Nazi today. But that’s just my line of thinking – I’m curious where the team lands on this discussion now that some additional time has passed.
I think we’re overcomplicating this. Nazis are bad. That shouldn’t be a political statement, just common sense. Nekome is a revenge story about people who suffered horrific atrocities at the hands of Nazis. We’re not making a statement about modern politics. We’re telling a story with villains who are unquestionably evil.
If someone feels politically attacked by a game where you kill Nazis, maybe they should take a long, hard look in the mirror.
Anything I missed you’d like to touch on?
We created Nekome because we saw an opportunity to tell a Second World War story through a perspective that games have rarely depicted. World War II is one of the most common settings in media. And yet, there are almost no games that explore the persecution of the Roma and Sinti during that period.
That is a real, deeply horrible part of history, so our story also comes with responsibility. The team has worked with historians and cultural consultants to help us approach Vano’s identity, his community and the historical context thoughtfully and credibly. We promise to tell Vano’s story honestly and approach that history with care.
