Credit: Warner Bros. PicturesWhen Terminator 2: Judgment Day hit theaters in 1991, it redefined blockbuster filmmaking. James Cameron’s sequel wasn’t just a bigger follow-up to The Terminator—it was a landmark in visual effects, storytelling, and action spectacle that continues to influence cinema more than three decades later.
Its blend of relentless pacing, groundbreaking CGI, and surprisingly emotional performances cemented it as one of the greatest sequels — and movies — ever made.
The Terminator Sequels Failed To Recapture the Magic of T2
But what came after has never lived up to expectations. Despite multiple sequels and soft reboots, the franchise has failed time and again to recapture the same lightning-in-a-bottle magic. From Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) to Dark Fate (2019), each installment promised a return to form but ultimately fell short of fan expectations.
That’s why the announcement of a new Terminator project always raises more eyebrows than cheers—until now.
One of the Franchise’s Best Entries Has Quietly Been Rebooted
Recently, Bitmap Bureau unveiled the first trailer for “Terminator 2D: No Fate”, an arcade-style action video game. And based on early footage, it looks like fans are finally getting the Terminator game they’ve been waiting for. Watch the overview trailer from IGN below:
What’s “Terminator 2D: No Fate” About?
“Play as Sarah Connor and the T-800 through a variety of thrilling missions as they take on the T-1000 and try to put a stop to Skynet’s plans before the human race is annihilated,” the official synopsis for the game reads.
“Lead the Resistance as John Connor in the future, fighting on the front lines as mankind’s only hope in the War Against the Machines. In this unique story blending iconic scenes from ‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day’ with original scenarios and multiple endings, humanity’s fate is yours to decide.”
According to the official website, the game features a mix of shooting and boss battles across multiple modes—including Story Mode, Arcade Mode, Infinite Mode, Boss Rush, and more. Players can relive iconic sequences like the Los Angeles canal chase while also exploring “untold Terminator stories” through original missions.
Related: ‘Back to the Future’ Reboot Confirmed With ‘Terminator’ Franchise
Visually, “Terminator 2D: No Fate” leans into retro-inspired pixel art, with detailed sprites bringing Sarah, John, and the T-800 to life. Mike Tucker, Design Director & Programmer at Bitmap Bureau, describes the project best: “It’s a love letter to 80s/90s arcade games and we feel like it’s the T2 game we should have had back in our youth.”
Technically speaking, we did have a near-perfect game back then: 1991’s Game Boy title, “Terminator 2: Judgment Day”, which was based on the film. Essentially, “Terminator 2D: No Fate” serves as a remake of that popular entry, only vastly expanded and rebuilt for modern audience.
“Terminator 2D: No Fate” launches later this year for PlayStation 4 & 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
Terminator Is Also Getting the Open-World Treatment
But it’s not the only Skynet story on the horizon. Nacon is also developing “Terminator Survivors”, an open-world survival game set in the ruins of humanity’s future war against the machines.
The title still doesn’t have a release date, but it promises a very different kind of experience—one focused on exploration, resource management, and evading unstoppable Terminators in a vast sandbox environment. Watch the official teaser-trailer below:
Will There Be a Terminator 7?
Meanwhile, James Cameron, who helmed the first two Terminator films, has said he’s planning to reboot the Terminator film series again, despite failed attempts to do so with films such as Salvation (2009), Genisys (2015), and Dark Fate.
Though details remain scarce, he has stated that AI’s rapid evolution has reignited his interest in revisiting the franchise. Unfortunately, though, Arnold Schwarzenegger has said he’s done with the franchise, telling The Hollywood Reporter in 2023:
“The franchise is not done. I’m done. I got the message loud and clear that the world wants to move on with a different theme when it comes to The Terminator. Someone has to come up with a great idea. The Terminator was largely responsible for my success, so I always would look at it very fondly. The first three movies were great. Number four [Salvation] I was not in because I was governor. Then five [Genisys] and six [Dark Fate] didn’t close the deal as far as I’m concerned. We knew that ahead of time because they were just not well written.”
Nevertheless, while Arnie “won’t be back”, between last year’s anime reboot Terminator: Zero, the upcoming games “No Fate” and “Survivors”, and a potential cinematic reboot, it seems Skynet isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
Are you excited about all these upcoming Terminator projects? Would you like to see Arnold Schwarzenegger “back” as the T-800? Let us know in the comments!