KaniPro Games recently announced that Hong Kong 2097, the abruptly announced official sequel to the controversial SNES shoot ’em up Hong Kong 97, will not be coming to Steam. Following a drawn-out approval process, which culminated in the title’s third review by Valve, an extensive amount of third-party content was found that the studio did not have the rights to. As a result, Hong Kong 2097 will not be coming to the platform on its estimated Q1 2026 release, and its Steam page has been retired (though you can still access it if you have the link).
Co-developed by KaniPro Games and Happy Soft (the latter of which developed and published the original Hong Kong 97 ), Hong Kong 2097 is a twin-stick shooter starring returning protagonist Chin, the long-lost relative of Bruce Lee. After ridding Hong Kong of all 1.2 billion Chinese people in the first game, he receives a message from God to conquer the fictional the fictional country Amurikkka and establish his own utopia.
Hong Kong 2097 features five “stages” where players control Chen as he shoots his weapons at anything that isn’t him. From underpants-wearing gentlemen with shotguns strapped to their crotches to floating Statue of Liberty heads, the sequel is certainly staying true to the outlandish and offensive nature of its source material. If the roaming sprite enemies weren’t weird enough, the “stages” themselves feature random pixelated images that are truly something to behold.
New to the series is the addition of a shield, which absorbs enemy projectiles and converts them into power for your arsenal. There are also three weapon types and pickups with randomized effects that will aid you in your quest. You’ll also receive a pair of “sacred soiled panties” after completing each stage, with 20 types of panties to collect in total if you play through each of the four difficulty modes.
Though Hong Kong 2097 will no longer be coming to Steam, KaniPro Games does not plan to cancel the release. They are currently looking into itch.io, GOG, and DLsite as prospective homes for the offensive sequel, as their rules seem to be more flexible when it comes to games with third-party content.
Hong Kong 2097 is set to release sometime in Q1 of 2026. Platforms are TBD.
