It’s been a while since He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: Dragon Pearl of Destruction was first teased, and as someone who grew up in the 1980s, this one has absolutely been on my radar. A true retro-styled Masters of the Universe beat ’em up just hits different when you spent your afternoons hearing “By the power of Grayskull!” all throughout the house…. and being told to shut up by members of your household. Now we finally have a release date and a much clearer picture of what to expect.
Mattel and Limited Run Games have confirmed the game launches digitally on April 28, 2026, in celebration of Masters of the Universe Day. It’s coming to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Switch, Switch 2, and PC.
Developed by Bitmap Bureau in collaboration with Mattel, this brand-new 2D arcade brawler looks to rekindle that love for classic beat ’em ups. Two-player local co-op is fully supported, letting you and a friend throw down, just like in those glorious arcade days. Unfortunately, there’s no online co-op option, so this one keeps things strictly couch-based.
The story is classic He-Man. When Skeletor discovers the ancient Dragon Pearl of Destruction, a relic of terrifying power, he teams up with Evil-Lyn to plunge Eternia into eternal darkness. Standing in their way are He-Man, Man-At-Arms, and Teela, with She-Ra becoming playable in later runs. You’ll carve through waves of enemies across 12 action-packed stages set in iconic locations such as the Royal Palace, the Vine Jungle, and the dark corridors of Snake Mountain. Along the way, you’ll square off against familiar faces including Skeletor, Evil-Lyn, Beast Man, Trap Jaw, Shokoti, and the Shadow Beasts.
As someone who has been enjoying this recent resurgence of beat ’em ups, I’m genuinely looking forward to this one. I’m also hoping it helps erase the memory of He-Man: Defender of Grayskull from the early 2000s, which had a similar idea but painfully underwhelming gameplay.
