The Ghost in the Shell: Episode 6
This week, the 6th episode of the new animated Ghost in the Shell series released on Prime Video. The new animated series is produced by Science SARU, based on Masamune Shirow’s 1989 manga series. The series began airing on 7th July on a simultaneous global release schedule, with weekly episode drops, giving the worldwide community the chance to discuss the series episode by episode.
In the first few episodes, we had the inception of Section 9, after a bit of a false start, then a couple of cases of mistaken identity with regards to The Puppet Master. The animation has been great, with some good action scenes, and a bit of philosophising over the line between human and non-human, and the nature of the ‘ghosts’ of the title. The more recent episodes have all been a lot more stand-alone than the first few felt, and the series has been better off for it.
The series just seems to get better episode by episode. Episode 6 is another self-contained story. We start with a character, who we later find out is named Toru Soma, being ominously injected with micromachines that will enable him to network directly with whatever he wants.
We then see The Major, Kusanagi, with her boyfriend, who we find out she has been seeing for several months. They seem to be very happy, bantering with each other, but this is cut short by an intruder who shoots at Kusanagi, and leaves a nailbomb, which injures the two of them.
Due to the method used to target her, Kusanagi knows it was Soma, and the act was revenge for Kusanagi causing Soma to kill his own son. This is one of several references we have had to Kusanagi’s past so far over the course of the series, which puts across her experience, and some of the dark and brutal things she has done in the line of duty.
Kusanagi and Togusa leave the hospital to investigate, and are immediately followed. They lure their pursuers to a factory, where all hell breaks loose. What ensues is arguably the best action sequence of the series so far, and it is hard hitting and bloody. The team call in a Fuchikoma in to assist, but it is soon blown up by a more powerful Think Tank, piloted by Soma.
Aramaki investigates the tank whilst Kusangi and Togusa battle for survival. He discovers the involvement of Section 1, who the tank belongs to, around the same time Kusanagi discovers her boyfriend, who is a Section 1 agent, on the scene. Section 1 are called off, but the boyfriend, unaware of the true nature of the situation, sticks around to help The Major. Thanks to Boma’s appearance with a very large gun, the Think Tank is disabled, but not before Kusanaga’s body is seriously damaged. The sight of The Major with damaged limbs goes some way to giving the series some stakes, even though ultimately we know the body can be repaired or replaced.
Kusanagi executes Soma, continuing to show her willingness to kill when the situation calls for it. And the attitude of ‘by any means necessary’ is really the theme of the episode. Around the beginning of the episode, Aramaki is seen commenting that the means are unimportant to him as long as the job is done, and Kusanagi effectively echoes that at the end of the episode. But this modus operandi works both ways – Section 1 were willing to sacrifice Kusanagi to achieve their own goals, and ultimately the situation only went the way of Section 9 because they were the more effective team. The question of whether they are the ‘better’ team from a moral perspective is much more complicated.
This is what sets apart this series of The Ghost in the Shell from some other cyberpunk properties. The protagonist isn’t ‘heroic’ in the way they approach the job. With a body that can be much more easily repaired than a human, Kusanagi can go into violent situations without fear. She also has no compunction about killing those that are perceived ‘guilty’, or even just obstructing the course of justice, where heroes in other IPs would be far less willing to cross that moral line. Whether this concept will be explored more later on, and even come back to bite, remains to be seen.
What did you think of episode six? Are you enjoying the more stand-alone episodes, or would you rather they focused on one long story arc like The Puppet Master story used for the 1995 movie? Let us know in the comments.
You can watch the new Ghost in the Shell series on Prime Video with a valid subscription, and episodes will be released every Tuesday. You can enjoy the show’s opening sequence below –
Videogame – Phosphor
This week saw the release of the demo version of Phosphor for PC on Steam. This retro-style videogame is a cyberpunk roguelike platformer, which sees you making your way down an industrial plant, fighting off hordes of foes, both mechanical and organic.
From the publisher –
An action-packed retro cyberpunk roguelike platformer dropping players into an infested industrial abyss. Blast through hordes and giant bosses, and loot from 350+ weapons and upgrades. Every descent generated fresh. Die, keep what you forge, unlock operatives, and drop deeper into the PHOSPHOR.
The game sees you fight your way down an infested facility, killing enemies, collecting loot, until death finds you. Then you can descend again, into a brand new world, keeping the cores you banked from previous runs. There are over 350 weapons and upgrades, and between runs you return to the foundry, spend the cores you’ve earned, Loot has 6 rarities, meaning you’ll never tire of dropping again, looking for the rarest of what’s on offer. There are 19 biomes in very industrial, cyberpunk looking settings, and over a hundred different enemy types.
There is a multiplayer online co-op mode, which is where the game really comes to life. When the swarms come for you, you’ll need to work together, cover each other, and pull your fallen comrades back up to their feet before they succumb, so that you can continue on with the run together. It looks like a fun time with friends, and we’re looking forward to getting a chance to try it.
Every run can be in a brand new world, but world generation is seeded, meaning you can replay the same seed again with an identical world and loot, so you can try to improve your progress on every subsequent run— race a friend through it, or take another shot at the run that killed you. Either way, the game looks to have a lot of replayability.
Phopshor is Developed by Manawave, and published by Manawave Games, and Phosphor is their first game. The full game is scheduled for release on 31st October 2026, and you can check out video footage, and wishlist the game on Steam here https://store.steampowered.com/app/4963530/PHOSPHOR/
Trailer – Appofeniacs
The new trailer for Appofeniacs, a dark comedy thriller based around an AI app, was released this week. When a mischievous character creates a string of AI deepfakes, it causes a series of chaotic incidents that conclude in brutal violence.
Synopsis –
An ensemble tale with intersecting storylines that escalate into chaos as they portray how easily AI technology can be weaponized to exploit society. When presented with video proof of something that aligns with our confirmation bias, how many of us will put forth the effort to make sure it actually is real? When Duke goes on a frenzy of reckless deepfake creations, his callous disregard of consequences shows how with a few clicks of an app on a phone anyone can create a deceiving video of an unsuspecting victim and ruin their life… or end it.
We’ve not even begun to see the avalanche of AI-related movies, and Appofenia is not the first horror movie set around a mobile app either. It’s more about the fallout around AI and deepfakes than it is about the tech, so it’s really barely on the fringes of what we cover, but it is still relevant. And it looks suitably dark and chaotic, and visually striking. The reviews that have come out of the festivals it’s played at suggest it is genuinely great – at time of writing, the film has a rating of 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, though that is from only 23 reviews.
Appofeniacs premiered at FrightFest in London on August 22nd 2025, and then played in North America at Fantastic Fest in September 2025. Chris Marrs Piliero, best known for music videos, directs his first feature film. It stars Aaron Holliday, Sean Gunn, Jermaine Fowler, Michael Abbott Jr., Will Brandy, and Paige Searcy. Production is by Panay films, and it is distributed by WTFilms. Appofeniacs goes on wide release on 2nd October.
You can check out the trailer below –
Gaming – Sprawl Zero
The release date for upcoming cyberpunk FPS shooter Sprawl Zero was revealed this week. Set in a futuristic city under falling apart under military rule, we now know the game is due for release on September 8th 2026.
Synopsis –
SPRAWL zero is a fast-paced shooter inspired by the Golden Age of 2000s FPS. Survive a brutal cyberpunk city collapsing under military rule and cult fanaticism. Use your Gravity-Gloves, augments, and an arsenal of over 40 weapons to crush those who stand in your way.
You play the game as a cybernetically enhanced super soldier, in a game that was apparently inspired by 2000’s console era first person shooters. Your mission is to take out the leader of a radical techno-religious group, and in the process you will take on squads of enemies working in a group dynamic, coordinating their movements and using various tactics to advance on you, or flush you out of cover. The game promises to give you the freedom to approach situations in your favourite playstyle, whether that be stealth, or the more direct, guns blazing approach.
There is a range of different gear to compliment your tactics, and you will be able to use Bullet-Time and gravity-based weapons to innovate your attacks and defeat your foes. There will be multiple paths through levels to compliment your chosen tactical approach, and a wide range of mechanical and organic enemies to take on, all to an early 2000’s inspired soundtrack. If you want to check out the game, you can download a PC demo now on Steam https://store.steampowered.com/app/3748520/SPRAWL_zero/
Sprawl Zero is developed by the independent studio MAETH, and published by Kwalee, and it will be releasing for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Switch 2, and PC via Steam. You can watch the release date reveal trailer below.
Comic – Blade Runner: Tokyo Nexus: To Lose is to Win #4
This latest in the Blade Runner comic series, Blade Runner: Tokyo Nexus: To Lose is to Win #4, was released this week. Writer Nancy A. Collins and artist Mariano Taibo combine on this fourth and final issue, published by Titan Comics. The issues have been published month on month, with the fourth and final part available now.
From the publisher –
While deployed years ago in a Kalanthia conflict zone, Mead and her Replicant partner Stix were betrayed by a traitor within the corporation they fought for. Left for dead, the pair managed to escape back to Earth, to seek justice in Tokyo.
Caught up in a yakuza turf war involving dangerous bootleg Replicants, Stix confronts Rumiko, an enigmatic Blade Runner dispatched by the Tyrell Corp to investigate the Cheshire Group, which is pursuing the creation of a deadly new generation of Replicants.
Titan Comics’ series of Blade Runner comics has been keeping the franchise alive since their first series, Blade Runner 2019, was published, set in the same canon as the 1982 Blade Runner movie, and Denis Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049. The collected version of these four issues is due to be released on 1st December 2026. It was also revealed this past week that a new four issue comic run in the Tokyo Nexus series, Blade Runner: Tokyo Nexus – Die With Honor, will debut before the end of the year, with the first issue slated for release on 4th November.
We recently got the first trailer for the TV series, Blade Runner 2099, which premieres on Amazon Prime Video on November 25, 2026, and will drop all 8 episodes in one go. The trailer looks promising, with a similar look to the original movie, and you can watch it at the bottom of the page. It may well be that future comics will follow on from the canon of the show, but only time will tell on that.
You can find this issue at Titans Comics here –
https://titan-comics.com/comics/2516-blade-runner-tokyo-nexus-to-lose-is-to-win
Videogame – Precinct IX
Zataforge Studio released an official reveal trailer for their turn-based, cyberpunk police management game this week, which is slightly different to their reveal trailer from last month. Precinct IX is scheduled to be released for PC on Steam in 2027.
From the publisher –
Command the cybernetic officers of Precinct IX as they handle the unstable cases of a future city. Dispatch, investigation, interrogation, and turn-based battles are woven together, while every officer has her own abilities, past, and secrets she refuses to say out loud. As trust deepens, you will enter their personal stories and gradually uncover the rotten truth beneath the city.
This looks like a fun management game. You run the precinct from top to bottom, meaning you are responsible for equipment, upgrades, and personnel, all the while keeping an eye on your budget. You set the roster for your officers, and choose who to dispatch to calls based on the nature of the disturbance. Meanwhile, you will also need to deal with people walking in off the street, including some of the shadier denizens of Precinct IX. The layout in the game is very clean, and makes it look very easy to navigate and understand, and the art is beautiful, with a cool anime look.. We’ll look out for more updates as they come.
You can wishlist on Steam here – https://store.steampowered.com/app/3278790/Precinct_IX/
And the new reveal trailer can be watched below –
Comic – The Ghost System
Good news, the Kickstarter for dystopian cyberpunk comic The Ghost System, Issue 4, has fully funded. The final issue of The Ghost System series, it is written by David Wilburn, the writer of the critically acclaimed Plainer Jane. Whilst the project has reached its goal and has funded, but you still Late Pledge for available rewards.
From the publisher –
The book follows the story of Soro, an isolated young man hiding from his broken past, and the dangerous international hacker collective The Ghost System as both sides are brought together in a battle for survival and dominance.
An extraordinary story of loss, power, corruption, and redemption.
A high-tech thriller that will captivate fans of Blade Runner and Ghost in the Shell.
Set in the dystopian streets of Manchester, UK, in the year 2045, issue 4 concludes the story of Soro, an isolated young man hiding from his broken past, and the dangerous international hacker collective The Ghost System. As the series reaches its conclusion, the two sides will clash, as one side seeks dominance, and the other survival.
The Ghost System is created and written by David Wilburn, previously a Guinness World Record breaking escapologist, sword swallower, and stuntman. The creative team also includes Rafael Romeo Magat (Sequential art), Clark Bint (Covers, character design), Linda Scott Campbell (Colours), and Tim West (Logos, lettering, print layout).
There are a few reward tiers available, from a digital PDF of issue 4, to a physical copy, or even physical copies of all four issues.
You can keep up to date with David’s comic creations by following Broken Face Comics on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/brokenfacecomics/
To check out the Kickstarter, pledge, and to read the first three issues in digital form for free, go to the Kickstarter page at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bfc/the-ghost-system-a-dystopian-cyberpunk-comic-book-issue-4/description
Trailer – Neo Berlin 2087
The awesome release announcement trailer for cyberpunk FPS Neo Berlin 2087 has been released. A detective thriller with cinematic visuals, the game sees you investigating the murder of a high profile figure in a divided futuristic city.
Synopsis –
Uncover the truth as Nolan, a troubled detective chasing a conspiracy shaking the foundation of Neo Berlin: a cyberpunk city split in two by technology, wealth, and class.
The trailer shows us a very atmospheric, traditional dark and gloomy noir cyberpunk setting. It has a very Blade Runner feel to it, and that isn’t a bad thing. In the game, Neo Berlin is a city split in half by a new Berlin Wall, with the rich living inside, and everyone else shut out. After a police chief is murdered, you need to investigate, whilst tracking down his missing daughter. The game features a mix of 1st and 3rd person, allowing you to choose to proceed with stealth, or the more straightforward shoot now, ask questions later.
With a specific story at the heart of the game, but some freedom in how you approach matters, it sounds like the perfect mix of open world and focused gameplay. There will apparently be a wide array of different weaponry available, and the ability to customise your skills to fit your preferred playstyle, so the game generally sounds like a spiritual successor to the fantastic Deus Ex series.
Cyberpunk 2077 has shown that with the right game, a cyberpunk videogame can have a strong cultural impact. Neo Berlin 2087 has been around in development for a number of years, originally beginning life as Shadow of Conspiracy: Section 2 back in 2021, and it’s maybe the success of Cyberpunk 2077 that has led to the publishers finally setting a release date for the game. It has had a presence at Gamescom every year since 2023, and will so once again this time around at the end of the month. Hopefully this time we’ll get a lot more solid information on the game. For the time being, though, it looks great, having a release window is fantastic news, and we can afford to get a lot more excited about this game now.
Neo Berlin 2087 is planned for release in 2028 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam.
You can watch the release trailer below –
Author Spotlight – Phil Stitelmann
We published the very first of our Author Spotlight series this week. Phil Stitelmann is a cyberpunk author, with two novellas in his cyberpunk universe, Digital Gods and Fallen Angels, currently available, and several more projects in development. In the article, we take a look at Phil’s cyberpunk universe, and talk to him about his writing, and his cyberpunk influences.
How did you get into writing?
Through my English studies, mostly. But it is reading the Lord of the Rings that triggered the real need to write!
What particularly struck me was Tolkien’s worldbuilding, sense of epic and, most all, mythologie. These concepts never really left me. Writing remained alongside my professional career for years until Digital Gods and Fallen Angels grew into something I could no longer treat as a side project. Today, with the concept of the digital gods, I have a mythologie of my own, set in a cyberpunk environment!
You can check out the full article here – https://cyberstopia.com/author-spotlight-phil-stitelmann/
PODCAST – HOST IN THE SHELL EPISODE 64: An Interview with Bruce Bethke
The latest episode of Hosts in the Shell is available now. This week, hosts Jon Richter and Matt Adcock interview Bruce Bethke, inventor of the word ‘cyberpunk’. Bethke coined the term as the title of his 1980 short story, and he is the founder and editor of the anthology series magazine Stupefying Stories.
The Hosts in the Shell podcast is a cyberpunk podcast where Jon and Matt discuss the genre’s greatest work, often alongside a notable guest, and they have over 50 episodes available. You can find the Hosts in the Shell podcast at the link below, and all good podcast platforms.
As well as being podcasters, Jon and Matt are also authors with cyberpunk related titles amongst their novels.
You can find out more about Jon’s work here –
You can find out more about Matt’s work here – www.completedarknessnovel.com/
CYBERSTOPIA – Discord
Cyberstopia now has a Discord server! Please join us and build a community for cyberpunk and dystopia discussion. We have sections for all the latest news, channels for discussion of The Ghost in the Shell series, as well as upcoming shows like Edgrerunners 2, Blade Runner 2099, and Neuromancer, as well as an author section with a number of cyberpunk authors talking about their work, giving updates on your current projects, etc… It’s a great place to hang out.
https://discord.gg/ETgkwzHQ5
For more of the latest news on cyberpunk and dystopia media, stay tuned to Cyberstopia here on the website, and across social media. If you have a Cyberstopian project or release, or there’s something you think we should be covering, please let us know here in the comments, on your social media platform of choice, or at our website www.cyberstopia.com
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