Fulqrum Publishing has opened Boomstock 2026 on Steam. The seven-day event brings world premieres, release updates, playable tests and discounts to a broad line-up of boomer shooters through 24 September.
Rust Dungeon and SYSTEM INTRUDER lead the discoveries at Boomstock 2026. Fulqrum Publishing's Steam festival also brings release updates, demos, playtests and limited-time discounts. It runs from 18 September through 24 September and focuses on classic-style first-person shooters alongside upcoming indie projects. According to GamesPress, Boomstock 2026 is a seven-day festival for retro-style "boomer shooters" and independent FPS games.
New shooters revealed
The opening showcase offered more than a standard trailer reel. Rust Dungeon and SYSTEM INTRUDER received world premieres. Trebishe was revealed, while ELDERBORN: VENGEANCE appeared in its first public gameplay showing. GamesPress identifies Rust Dungeon and SYSTEM INTRUDER as world premieres and ELDERBORN: VENGEANCE as a first public gameplay reveal.
The showcase also included new footage from several Fulqrum Publishing projects: Inquisitor Simulator, Nailcrown, Supplice, SPRAWL zero, Hark the Ghoul, DIOXIDE, Lonely Space, Homonculus and Unbroken: The Awakening.
Several established projects received clearer launch details. Odd Town, WARAG, DEADBOOT and COP BASTARD got release-date announcements. Project Warlock: Lost Chapters received a release window. SiN Reloaded is scheduled to launch at the end of Boomstock. Brazilian Drug Dealer, Before 4 Demons from the Portal to Hell I Opened Are Still in the Favela and Now I Have to Save Mamadas from Ronaldo is due to launch during the festival.
Readers tracking the wider independent games calendar can compare Boomstock with NGB's earlier coverage of Zozo and the Lost Dreams. That story focused on a platformer-Metroidvania at Tokyo Game Show. Boomstock stays focused on fast first-person combat and the current revival of retro shooter design.
Dates and bundles
Boomstock 2026 runs exclusively on Steam for seven days, from 18 September to 24 September. The Dawn 2 Kill bundle combines Mouse P.I., Forgive Me Father 2 and Fallen Aces at a 15% discount. HYPERVIOLENT is also coming to consoles, with its console release date revealed during the showcase. GamesPress confirms 24 September as the festival's closing date, so the discounts, showcases and timed activities all fall within the same seven-day Steam event.
The bundle gives the festival a practical reason to visit. Players can browse the participating games and discounts on Steam, then decide whether a demo or playtest offers enough evidence to justify a wishlist addition or a full purchase.
The catalogue covers more than one version of the genre. Fulqrum Publishing describes a line-up that includes arena combat, dungeon crawls, cosmic horror, occult mysteries, retro-futuristic warfare and stranger settings. The projects are also at different stages. Some have new trailers or launch information, while others can be sampled through demos and tests.
Playable content
DERELIKT opens playtest sign-ups during the festival. DIESELDOME: Ultraviolent Gladiator Shooter is running a playtest as Boomstock continues. Hmur launches a demo, and BRUTAL JOHN 2 receives a new content update. HMUR's demo window lasts from 17 September to 1 October 2026, so it extends beyond Boomstock's 24 September closing date.
These playable versions let people assess projects before release. They also offer more information than a short, edited trailer. Cop Bastard provides another example: its updated Boomstock 2026 demo is live on Steam, while the full game is planned for an October 2026 launch, according to a separate GamesPress announcement.
Project Warlock: Lost Chapters also has an official Steam playtest running throughout Boomstock until 24 September. Its previous demo is being retired because it no longer reflects the title's current state, according to GamesPress.
Fulqrum's own slate adds plenty of new footage. Inquisitor Simulator receives a trailer with previously unseen gameplay. Supplice gets an update launch trailer, and SPRAWL zero receives a launch trailer. The rest of the showcase includes gameplay trailers for Hark the Ghoul and DIOXIDE, plus fresh footage from Lonely Space, Homonculus and Unbroken: The Awakening.
Playable material still has limits. A trailer can show that a project exists or present one particular sequence, but it cannot independently confirm final performance, content volume, stability or the feel of the complete game. Demos and playtests help with those questions. The supplied announcement does not identify their build versions, technical settings or duration.
What players can check
Boomstock 2026 works best as a concentrated discovery event rather than a single release. Visitors can use the showcase to find upcoming shooters, then open the relevant Steam pages to wishlist games, try demos, join playtests or check discounts. Some projects have confirmed release dates. Project Warlock: Lost Chapters has a release window. Other games appear through footage or playable tests without a stated launch date.
Fulqrum Publishing's role is substantial, but the festival also includes participating studios and developer partners. The publisher's portfolio already contains more than a hundred games, including Men of War, King's Bounty, Space Rangers, Fell Seal and Forgive Me Father. Boomstock brings that publishing history to an audience focused on boomer shooters.
The festival's strongest feature is the link between discovery and access. World premieres draw attention, while the demos, playtests, update and 15% bundle discount give players concrete ways to examine the marketing claims. The updated Cop Bastard demo, the current Project Warlock: Lost Chapters playtest and the timed HMUR demo window all show that Boomstock goes beyond trailers.
That makes Boomstock a useful snapshot of the genre's current state. It does not promise that every announced shooter will land perfectly. It gives players a Steam event where they can separate playable evidence from presentation material before spending money.
A playtest is not the same as a review build or a finished release. It may show selected content and can change before launch. A demo is usually a limited slice designed to show a project's core appeal. Neither format confirms final performance or the full scope of a game, but both provide more direct evidence than a heavily edited announcement trailer.
