SLA Industries targets a more Savage future

The grim, rain-slicked streets of Mort are about to get a little faster and arguably more furious. Nightfall Games has announced that their cult-classic “splatterpunk” TTRPG, Savage SLA Industries, is officially in development.

In a notable departure from the typical licensing model, this is not a Pinnacle Entertainment Group production. While Savage Worlds is Pinnacle’s flagship system, Nightfall Games has confirmed they will handle the publishing duties themselves. This move brings the notoriously gritty “World of Progress” into a more streamlined mechanical framework, potentially opening the doors of Mort City to a wider audience who may have found the native S5S system or the high “crunch” of previous editions a barrier to entry.

The move to Savage Worlds marks another significant chapter for a game that has seen several corporate handovers since its 1993 debut in Glasgow. Originally an independent success, it was famously snapped up by Wizards of the Coast in the mid-90s before eventually returning to its original creators.

Shifting systems in the World of Progress

For the uninitiated, SLA Industries places players in the role of Operatives – highly trained freelancers working for a monolithic corporation that owns everything from the air you breathe to the weapons you use to kill its enemies. It is a world of ultraviolence, reality-TV stardom, and cosmic horror, all wrapped in a satirical, dystopian shell.

By adopting the Savage Worlds ruleset, Nightfall Games is leaning into the “Fast! Furious! Fun!” philosophy that has made the system a favourite for high-action settings. This isn’t the first time the Scottish publisher has flirted with alternative mechanics; their post-apocalyptic title Devil’s Run was previously designed for both 2d20 and Savage Worlds.

However, bringing the flagship SLA Industries IP into the Savage Worlds fold suggests a strategic push to modernise the game. The goal appears to be maintaining the dark, uncompromising tone of the setting while utilising a system known for handling cinematic combat and diverse character builds with less mathematical overhead than the original 1990s rules.