Judge Dredd Meets Blade Runner In New Cyberpunk Thriller

1 hour ago 8

Published Aug 26, 2026, 9:00 PM EDT

Tom Wilson is a Gaming Features Writer at Screen Rant. Over the past five years, Tom has worked as the Editor-in-Chief at The Game Crater, as a Staff Writer for GamingIntel, a List Writer at TheGamer, and, of course, as a Senior Writer at ScreenRant. Tom has experience writing reviews, guides, news, and features, and has been responsible for teams of writers, training them and editing their work.

Tom graduated with a Masters in Multimedia Journalism, and has since gone on to build up his portfolio of games journalism work.

Judge Dredd has had a number of adaptations that have focused on vastly different aspects of its core premise. The Stallone-led 1995 film was as colorful as the earlier comics, utilizing their far more elaborately designed mutants and cyberpunk world to deliver a largely unserious action romp that is beloved by many. 2012's gritty and criminally underrated reboot depicted a significantly more grounded universe, its single location allowing viewers to get into the mind of the titular character and flesh out the lore surrounding the Judges with a little more nuance.

No adaptation is wrong, as, at the end of the day, all Judge Dredd-related media is fun, but only one is well suited to a visceral, action-packed Cyberpunk 2077-esque first-person shooter in 2026. Naturally, it is the 2012 reboot, which seems to be the core inspiration, alongside the likes of Blade Runner, of course, for a brand-new cyberpunk FPS title. This is, naturally, phenomenal news for fans of 2012's Dredd (including myself), especially as it is unlikely we'll ever get the Dredd sequel fans deserve.

Cyberpunk SWAT Sim Is Dredd Meets Blade Runner

An enemy shooting the player from a floor above in DEFECT.

DEFECT is an upcoming first-person SWAT simulation game set in a gritty, Dredd-esque cyberpunk world in which a sentient AI controls everything, justice is delivered with violence, and gangs roam wild. Developed by emptyvessel, DEFECT wears its Dredd and Blade Runner inspirations rather proudly, with its screenshots on Steam and gameplay trailer displaying numerous elements that look either identical to or pay homage to scenes from and the general vibe of Dredd.

In DEFECT, you and your teammates must attempt to complete several objectives across different locations, including, naturally, high-rise buildings. These objectives include arresting suspects, assassinating targets, smuggling weapons, and more, with each one requiring the precision and planning one would expect from a SWAT team. DEFECT can be played online with or against friends, as well as offline in the single-player campaign.

Where DEFECT differs from the likes of Dredd is in its faction mechanic. You're not merely tied to playing as the police, although they are an option. Rather, there are various factions to choose from, including the lawless and violent gangs, with each one offering unique objectives and playstyles. It's a fairly robust offering, one that is absolutely perfect for those in desperate need of more games like Cyberpunk 2077, or simply the Dredd game we never got.

It's About Time We Got A Game Like Dredd

The player holding a gun looking at neon signs in DEFECT.

To be absolutely clear, I don't have an issue with DEFECT looking so much like Dredd. In fact, the complete opposite is true. Dredd's claustrophobic setting, extreme violence, and phenomenal worldbuilding have always felt perfectly suited to the FPS genre, which is why it's so surprising there is a genuine absence of games like it. DEFECT, ostensibly finally delivering on the potential Dredd had as a video game nearly 15 years ago, is a significant win, in my opinion, and, frankly, a necessary one.

It's also true that DEFECT is very much doing its own thing beyond what Dredd offers, and it is for that reason that it is worth getting excited about. Merely replicating Dredd would have been enough, but the aforementioned faction mechanic, the different locations, stunning visuals, and varied gun types help to set it apart. It's offering an experience akin to Judge Dredd with the visuals and cyberpunk stylings of Blade Runner, and that is a combination that, should developer emptyvessel pull it off, will be utterly legendary.