Unlike series like Onimusha, which made its triumphant return with Way of the Sword, the Mega Man series hasn’t been left dormant for decades, as the latest main entry in the series, Mega Man 11, launched in 2018. Still, the Blue Bomber had yet to make its debut on current-generation systems, and will do so in style, as Mega Man: Dual Override is set to continue the incredible stream CAPCOM has been on since the launch of Resident Evil VII: Biohazard in Spring 2027 on PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch systems.

During gamescom 2026, I was invited by CAPCOM to try the upcoming new entry in the series, and, as a fan of the series since the NES days, I couldn’t help but be excited about it. Although my session was relatively short, which is understandable considering any Mega Man game doesn’t take dozens of hours to complete, I got out of it completely satisfied by how the game is shaping up.

The most impressive fact about Mega Man: Dual Override is how Mega Man it feels. This may sound obvious to some, but over the years, I couldn’t help but feel how many revivals of classic IPs never felt like the games that made them popular in the first place. This was definitely not the case here, as I immediately felt at home, dashing, jumping, and charging Mega Man’s gun like it was second nature.

While Mega Man: Dual Override felt immediately familiar, the new entry in the series enhances its classic, somewhat unforgiving formula with new mechanics. One of these is the Custom Chip system, which Mega Man can equip before starting a stage to alter his abilities. Some of the options include an auto-charge ability for the main weapon and the ability to heal by going into the menu. For the hardcore series players, there’s also the option to play without any Chip equipped, as if the game were one of the classic entries in the series.

The Chip system was an obligatory addition to broaden the game’s appeal beyond what it would have been otherwise, as the development team is not pulling any punches in level and enemy design. In the three stages of the demo, there were some tricky platforming sections, made more challenging by enemy configurations that leave little room for error. Using certain Chips is bound to make them easier, but without them, they felt as distinctly Mega Man as the rest of the experience does.

Similarly, boss design makes no compromise to be more welcoming to newcomers. The boss I fought at the end of the demo, Twinkle Girl, was challenging, requiring me to memorize its patterns to avoid its attacks and deal damage in the small openings available. The Override system mechanic, which powers up Mega Man but can only be used once per stage, definitely made the battle easier, but not so much that it became a walk in the park.

Following my hands-on experience and the confirmation that Proto Man will be playable, offering a different playstyle, I only became more excited for Mega Man: Dual Override. While it may not be as massive as some of the other games CAPCOM has put out in the past few years, I believe it has the potential to be among the best, thanks to an experience that can be as welcoming or challenging as the player desires. In an era when action games are becoming increasingly easy, this is very welcome.

About the author: Francesco De Meo has been covering video games and technology since 2012, starting his career at small outlets like Gamersyndrome and GeekSnack.

After joining Wccftech gaming section in 2015, he quickly expanded his video gaming coverage with in-depth reporting, interviews with iconic industry figures such as Grasshopper Manufacture founder and No More Heroes creator Goichi “Suda51” Suda, Resident Evil series creator Shinji Mikami, Team NINJA’s president and Nioh series director Fumihiko Yasuda, and Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama, reviews and on-the-ground coverage of major industry events such as Gamescom and E3.

When he’s not reporting or reviewing, Francesco can be found playing the genres he loves most, spending time with his six cats, reading, writing music, playing guitar and drumming for his progressive rock band.

Follow Wccftech on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.