Ember Lab Announces Kena: Scars of Kosmora for PS5, PC, Launches This Year

Why It Matters

The sequel cements Ember Lab as a growing narrative‑driven studio and bolsters Sony’s exclusive portfolio, while signaling strong market appetite for story‑rich action‑adventure experiences.

Key Takeaways

• Sequel releases 2026 on PS5, PC.
• Larger world, tightly designed regions, not open-world.
• New elemental spirit companions add combat depth.
• Kena’s staff broken; seeks forgotten spirit guiding.
• Xbox release still unconfirmed.

Pulse Analysis

Ember Lab’s debut, Kena: Bridge of Spirits, proved that a small studio could capture mainstream attention with a visually striking, emotionally resonant action‑adventure. Its success encouraged publishers to invest in original IPs that blend cinematic storytelling with accessible gameplay, a trend that continues to shape the mid‑tier market. By announcing Kena: Scars of Kosmora, Ember Lab signals confidence in expanding its universe, leveraging the original’s brand equity to attract both returning fans and newcomers seeking narrative depth.

The upcoming title pushes the series forward with a more expansive world that remains deliberately segmented, avoiding the sprawling open‑world model that dominates many recent releases. This design choice emphasizes curated experiences and tighter pacing, while the introduction of elemental spirit companions adds strategic layers to combat and exploration. Players can now mount a fox spirit, wield ice magic, and siphon energy from enemies, reflecting a broader industry shift toward hybrid mechanics that reward mastery without overwhelming casual audiences.

From a business perspective, the partnership with Sony Interactive Entertainment positions Kena: Scars of Kosmora as a potential system‑seller for the PS5, reinforcing Sony’s strategy of exclusive, story‑driven titles to differentiate its ecosystem. The absence of an Xbox announcement leaves room for future cross‑platform negotiations, but the current focus on PlayStation and PC aligns with Ember Lab’s proven distribution model. Anticipated sales, combined with merchandising and possible DLC, could solidify Kena as a recurring franchise, expanding Ember Lab’s portfolio and influencing how indie‑scale studios approach multi‑year development cycles.

Ember Lab Announces Kena: Scars of Kosmora for PS5, PC, Launches This Year

Kevin Dunsmore · Feb 12 2026, 9:17 PM EST

Ember Lab today announced the sequel to their hit debut game, Kena: Scars of Kosmora.

Released in 2021 on PS5 and PC, Kena: Bridge of Spirits was a whimsical action‑adventure and the first game from developer Ember Lab. The game was a resounding hit, capturing the audience's attention with its gorgeous art style, gripping narrative, and combat. It was a triumphant first outing for Ember Lab, but the question remained if Kena would be a one‑off title or if it would get a sequel. Today, five years later, we now know the answer.

As part of today’s State of Play, Ember Lab opened the show with the sequel. Kena: Scars of Kosmora is official, and the game is launching later this year on PS5 and PC.

The Spirit Guide Returns

Kena: Scars of Kosmora takes place many years after the events of Bridge of Spirits. Kena is older and renowned as a Spirit Guide, though she still struggles with the affliction she’s suffered with for all her life. In search of answers, Kena travels to the island of Kosmora, a land that holds many buried secrets. Once there, Kena confronts a power spirit that fractures her staff, which was keeping her alive. Kena must embrace Kosmora’s forgotten form of Spirit Guiding to save herself and uncover the island’s deepest secrets.

Much like Bridge of Spirits, Ember Lab’s goal with the narrative is to create an emotional and heartfelt journey. While the studio will tease more story elements in the future, they also don’t want to spoil too much. Details like the identity of who breaks Kena’s staff and the identity of the other spirit companions are being kept under wraps for the time being. You’ll either have to wait for more information to trickle out, or play the game when it launches.

Spirits and Elements, Oh My

Kena: Scars of Kosmora is a much larger game than Bridge of Spirits. Ember Lab wants players to feel like Kena has grown in skill between the two games, and they aim to accomplish that through elemental spirit companions and new elemental combat skills. The companions are buddies that unlock new powers for Kena as the bond between them strengthens. They also provide utility when traversing the world. The trailer showcases a leafy spirit fox that Kena is able to mount and traverse the much bigger world map.

Kena must embrace Kosmora’s forgotten form of Spirit Guiding to save herself and uncover the island’s deepest secrets.

Speaking of the map, Ember Lab confirmed that though the world is much larger than Bridge of Spirits, it is not specifically open‑world. Instead, it is built with an emphasis on “tightly designed regions, deliberate progression, and a strong sense of adventure.”

The elements also unlock a variety of new gameplay options throughout the adventure. In the trailer we see examples of Kena using ice magic, summoning the fox spirit companion for aid, and even siphoning magic out of a golem and firing it back at him. All‑in‑all, what’s presented looks like a solid evolution of Kena: Bridge of Spirits mechanics.

Kena: Scars of Kosmora launches sometime in 2026 on PS5 and PC. While Kena: Bridge of Spirits eventually launched on Xbox platforms, it did take nearly three years. As of publication, there is no word on whether Kena: Scars of Kosmora will make the leap to Xbox Series X|S.

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Kena: Scars of Kosmora – Systems

• Released: 2026

• Developer(s): Ember Lab

• Publisher(s): Sony Interactive Entertainment

• Prequel(s): Kena: Bridge of Spirits

• Number of Players: Single‑player

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