Hype: Toxic Crusaders launches this Holiday 2025

There's trouble in Tromaville! Announced at SDCC 2025, Justin Silverman of Retroware took to the stage to announce the release date of the highly anticipated Toxic Crusaders. With gorgeous art from Steve "Stevie” Gregson and a flurry of action, this 4-player couch co-op action brawler is now heading to consoles and PC on December 4th, 2025. 

Toxic Crusaders has been a long time coming for the up-and-coming team at Retroware. The team is coming high off the success of Iron Meat and Prison City. With Toxic Crusaders arriving soon, the team is aiming to deliver a radioactive experience with an abundance of fun and lots of action!

The Toxicity in our City

Toxic Crusaders is based on the black comedy splatter film, The Toxic Avenger. The original movie is considered a B-rated cult classic film that made an impact for its unforgiving violence and unconventional superhero focus. The cult classic spawned several films, creating the Tromaville universe. In this universe, radioactive waste is the central focus, along with extreme violence and B-movie comedy. 

In the original Toxic Avengers, Melvin Ferd is a scrawny, socially awkward, nerdy janitor who is bullied aplenty. One day, a prank set up by the bullies goes awry, leaving him doused in radioactive material. The nuclear waste mutates Melvin into the superhuman monstrosity, The Toxic Avenger. Toxie, as he is called, uses his newfound strength to clean up crime in Tromaville, taking down criminals and leaving a mop as a calling card. The first movie went on to spawn a small franchise and a short-lived cartoon called Toxic Crusaders. 

Going Nuclear

The Toxic Crusaders was a 1991 syndicated cartoon series, featuring Toxie and a whole crew of radioactive heroes. Like RoboCop and Rambo, the Toxic Crusaders followed the trend of turning gory R-rated movies into children's cartoons. The team dedicated itself to fighting crime in Tromaville, but squarely focused on the malevolent Dr. Killemoff and his henchmen. While the show only lasted 13 episodes, the Crusaders are being resurrected in video game form.

Toxic Crusaders is an action beat-’em up sidescroller where players play as one of four of the crusaders to take on Dr. Killemoff and save Tromaville. Players can, of course, star as the legendary hero Toxi, but there are more heroes to choose from. Junkyard, the half-human, half-canine, enters the battle with a bark and bite to match. The former test pilot, No Zone, uses his powerful sneeze to blow the enemy away. Major Disaster can bend nature to his will after falling into a radioactive swamp. Joining the Crusaders are Yvonne, Toxie’s girlfriend, and Mrs. Junko, Toxie’s mom.  Headbanger, another mutant crusader, wasn’t available for the demo but will be unlockable and playable at a later time. 

Radioactive

As a sidescroller, Toxic Crusaders gets the basics right. Players move across the stage, fighting bad guy after bad guy, through a flurry of kicks and punches. The difference here is that these are the Toxic Crusaders. The team uses the power of radiation to vanquish their foes, but the enemy also believes in using pollution to control the city.  Dr. Killemoff employs an army of mutants and soldiers to terrorize Tramaville. This is a bitter fight for control of the city and the fate of the planet! 

Each character felt remarkably different. Toxie can use his trusty mop to sweep up enemies. No Zone has a piece of landing gear as a leg and can clobber enemies. Junkyard can howl at the moon and slash at enemies. Yvonne can smack enemies with instruments and sing off-key. Major Disaster uses brute strength and his plant power to tangle foes. It’s a '90s cartoon come to life, and it is looking fantastic. 

Here Come The Toxic Crusaders

The demo felt great, colorful, and impactful, filled with plenty of humor. There’s a calamity of ’90s cartoon action that feels wonderful and stylized. Whether solo or with others, fighting the enemies of Dr. Killemoff felt tremendously fun. The first level took players from the streets to a diner to a junkyard to fight a vile, toxic oil monster. 

The team is going beyond as well. Steve Gregson, author of the popular wrestling webcomic Ring Cats, lends his talents to the game. The entire game will delve into the Tromaville universe, complete with easter eggs and levels pulled straight from both the cartoon and the movie. While there was never a season 2 of Toxic Crusaders, the game will expand upon the first season, essentially becoming a second season. Finally, the entire game features comic panels fully voiced by talented voice actors and even cameo appearances from members of the Tromaville universe. 

Mutants Unite

Toxic Crusaders is shaping up to be a great entry into the genre and a fantastic send-off to this year in video games. Its vibrant color and presentation, coupled with great gameplay, is certainly set to make an impression and be a joy to play for the Holidays. Retroware has been making the rounds lately, and Toxic Crusaders is set to be a radioactive good time!