6 Games To Play While Waiting For Judge Dredd’s Return

Published Sep 6, 2026, 5:30 PM EDT Jared is a writer, editor, and Communications Studies graduate who loves popular nerd culture (almost anything to do with Marvel, DC, Star Wars, or The Lord of the Rings) and the interactive storytelling medium. Jared's first console was the PS1, wherein he fell for Spider-Man, Spyro the Dragon, and Crash Bandicoot. Judge Dredd is grossly underutilized in the realm of video games. Overall, it simply seems as if there isn’t nearly as much stock being put into the brand nowadays, which is upsetting because it hasn’t come close to meeting its true potential. For instance, there have only been a handful of Judge Dredd games released in the last 40 years, with most of them being lackluster at best and grating at worst. The best Judge Dredd game we’ve ever had is undeniably Judge Dredd vs. Death, an FPS game that hasn’t been dethroned in 23 years. A AAA game released today could adopt almost any genre (okay, maybe not a dating sim) and begin a new era for Judge Dredd that it sorely needs if it’s ever going to be properly resuscitated and stand among other titans of 70s comic book nostalgia. Thankfully, as you wait patiently for a project that may never arrive, there are plenty of games bearing a resemblance to the beloved themes, tone, and violence in Judge Dredd, as dystopian cyberpunk sci-fi is one of the most ubiquitous and satisfying genres ever in games. 6 Helldivers 2 Helldivers 2 evokes the same themes as Judge Dredd in its ultra-totalitarianism and fascist regime satire, although Helldivers’ parody of authoritarianism and civic duty is much less a scathing criticism and far more a comedic and lighthearted expression. Instead of street judges apprehending or executing criminals, mutants, and dark judges, Helldivers slay bugs, bots, and squids with no compunction about cutting them all down in hails of gunfire and orbital nukes that are sure to also dish out a hearty helping of friendly fire. Don’t be alarmed if you’re kicked from a host’s match if you whiff a 380MM HE Orbital Barrage and your fellow Helldivers pay the price with their Reinforcements being depleted. You still won’t find a gritty, solemn tone in Helldivers 2, but you’re sure to gain a semblance of the power fantasy that any street judge is imbued with when they’re boots down on the ground and blasting enemies in the face with a Lawgiver. If Helldivers 2 ever debuts a motorcycle as an evolution of the driveable FRV, players would have their own version of Judge Dredd’s Lawmaster. 5 [REDACTED] While it’s unclear if we’ll ever see more from the Callisto Protocol IP, it’s fascinating to see how hard developer Striking Distance pivoted after the release of its original sci-fi survival horror game, which reheated a large baking sheet of Glen Schofield’s own Dead Space nachos and wasn’t received all that well. This pivot manifested as [REDACTED], a stylistic, top-down roguelike game set within The Callisto Protocol’s universe that is tremendously fun. [REDACTED] may be doubly compelling for anyone who’s a fan of the mobile-exclusive shooter game Judge Dredd vs. Zombies, as it’s basically a full-fledged and feature-rich version of what the watered-down Judge Dredd game could’ve been as a standard, multi-platform game. Not much is similar between [REDACTED] and Judge Dredd’s universes, but they both have scrumptiously intimate sci-fi worlds and creative weapons. 4 The Ascent The Ascent’s arcology is an astonishing reflection of the incredible language of aesthetics and architecture in many cyberpunk dystopias, including the megalopolis Mega-City One’s City Blocks in Judge Dredd. Moreover, The Ascent’s isometric, twin-stick gameplay may be a wonderful alternative to ordinary shooter games for fans who desire action on the same scale as what they’d expect from a Judge Dredd game, but have high hopes that a new Judge Dredd game would experiment a little and not resort to relying on cookie-cutter over-the-shoulder gunplay. A new Judge Dredd game being released and having the most unoriginal shooter gameplay ever wouldn’t necessarily guarantee that it’d be a bad game, per se. That said, because Judge Dredd isn’t the most popular dystopian sci-fi IP, it would probably need to do a lot more than depend on terrific atmosphere, iconography, and nostalgia. That’s not to say that it needs to take inspiration from The Ascent’s gameplay, specifically. Even so, it would be an interesting move to make playing as Judge Dredd unique in a modern action game, as The Ascent could’ve also run the risk of being perceived as a generic action game if it was a first-person shooter. 3 Warhammer 40000: Space Marine 2 Warhammer 40000: Space Marine 2, much less any game in the brilliant grimdark dystopia of Warhammer 40000, is a fantastic pivot for any fans of Judge Dredd. Space Marines and the Imperium of Man, in particular, will scratch an itch for Judge Dredd fans who are most intrigued by the lore of the Judge System and the Justice Department, though Warhammer 40000 lore is decidedly more vast. Still, in the absence of any new Judge Dredd games, fans searching for a comprehensive sci-fi universe to immerse themselves in that echoes the same sentiments and brutality as Judge Dredd are unlikely to be disappointed by Warhammer 40000: Space Marine 2. Plus, the stunning third-person shooter may be more accessible to those unfamiliar and intimidated by how overwhelming the Warhammer and Warhammer 40000 series tend to seem. Warhammer 40000: Space Marine 3 is officially in development, meaning that players who try Space Marine 2 and love it will actually have a new game to look forward to, as opposed to fans of Judge Dredd who’ve had no significant AAA games to anticipate for decades. 2 RoboCop: Rogue City Regarding action games that enable players to stoically and inspiringly dispense justice, you’d be hard-pressed to find one that is more comparable to the experience of role-playing as a street judge than role-playing as RoboCop, particularly in RoboCop: Rogue City. Indeed, Rogue City’s faithfulness to RoboCop source material grants it unparalleled immersion, and it’d be fantastic to see an original Judge Dredd game from developer Teyon as a result. Dredd never got the movie tie-in video game adaptation it deserves. However, even if you’re not a huge fan of RoboCop, you owe it to yourself to try out RoboCop: Rogue City if you want something similar to the action fantasy of enforcing the law as Judge Dredd. There may not be a new Judge Dredd movie releasing in the near future, either, but RoboCop is receiving a Prime Video series. 1 ​​​​​​​Cyberpunk 2077 Due to its phenomenal success—which was hard-won long after it was initially released—and literally being named after the subgenre it’s marinated in, Cyberpunk 2077 is basically the quintessential dystopian sci-fi game now. Judge Dredd’s Mega-City One and Cyberpunk 2077’s Night City are alike in many ways, as well, but chiefly via rampant violent crime that local law enforcement is constantly combating. An open-world Judge Dredd game with an explorable stretch of Mega-City One could rival Night City in Cyberpunk 2077, especially if it adhered to the penalties of law-abiding mechanics from previous Judge Dredd games as players encounter criminals in a dynamic sandbox. Many fans were disappointed that there was no way to begin a Life Path as an NCPD officer in Cyberpunk 2077, or become one later in the game. This would’ve certainly made Cyberpunk 2077 a lot more like Judge Dredd, though players technically do assume the role as a street judge for the NCPD if they have V crush crime by completing scanner hustles. Who knows, maybe players will be able to commit to a life of crime-fighting as a police officer in Cyberpunk 2, whenever it is released. Judge Dredd First Film Judge Dredd Cast Sylvester Stallone, Armand Assante, Diane Lane, Rob Schneider, Max Von Sydow, Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby, Lena Headey Created by John Wagner, Carlos Ezquerra Latest Film Dredd Movie(s) Judge Dredd, Dredd Character(s) Judge Dredd, Rico, Judge Hershey, Chief Justice Fargo, Judge Anderson, Ma-Ma Madrigal, Judge Cal, Judge Death The Judge Dredd franchise is based on the dystopian law enforcement character Judge Dredd, who originated from the British comic series 2000 AD in 1977. Created by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra, Judge Dredd serves as both judge and executioner in the futuristic and crime-ridden Mega-City One. The franchise blends science fiction with dark satire, critiquing totalitarianism and authoritarian justice systems. Over time, Judge Dredd has evolved into a multimedia franchise that includes comics, films, and video games, with two major film adaptations: Judge Dredd (1995) starring Sylvester Stallone and Dredd (2012) starring Karl Urban.