Mouse: P.I. For Hire locks release date and shows modern twist

Table of Content

Fumi Studios’ stylized shooter Mouse: P.I. For Hire now has a firm date – the developers confirmed a March 19, 2026 launch on Xbox Series X|S during the ID@Xbox Showcase. The Warsaw-based team outlined how its black-and-white, 1930s “rubber-hose” aesthetic feeds into a modern mix of gunplay and investigation. Beyond run-and-gun action, the game layers in casework, clue-hunting and exploration across a wide city map. The result aims to bridge classic shooter pace with systems-driven progression and discovery.

Casefiles first: a citywide investigation

Protagonist Jack Pepper begins with three separate cases available from the start, each sending players across Mouseburg. Cases can be tackled in any order, blending combat with clue gathering through physical items, NPC conversations and photographs. Collected evidence slots into an office corkboard – the classic “strings and pins” setup – to unlock new leads and destinations.

Exploration spans 10 biomes, each housing multiple levels, shifting the structure away from a simple A-to-B corridor shooter. The format supports backtracking for new clues and encourages alternate routes as the investigation evolves.

Mouseburg hub: upgrades, downtime and diversions

The central hub anchors progression with Jack’s office, a local pub, and a workshop for weapon upgrades. It is more than a menu space: NPCs offer conversations that may push the investigation forward, while minigames provide optional challenges and rewards ranging from clues to enhancements.

One standout side activity is a baseball-themed collectible card game. Cards are scattered throughout many levels, enabling deck-building and increasingly tough matches over the course of the campaign. When it is time to return to the action, players drive across an overworld map to the next hotspot.

Combat that evolves with you

Gunplay evokes classic arena shooters – think the cadence of DOOM – but adds contemporary twists. The arsenal runs from familiar Tommy guns and shotguns to stranger options like a brain-in-a-jar that fires psychic waves. Every weapon includes an alt-fire and can be upgraded to diversify tactics over time.

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Enemy types escalate as the story progresses. Familiar foes can arrive with new modifications – for example, a tank-like unit may gain a forcefield that demands a change in approach. Boss encounters introduce unique mechanics; one example, the ghostly “Third Wife,” appears to require a flashlight to weaken before gunfire becomes effective.

1930s cartoons reimagined in black-and-white

The world combines 3D environments with painstakingly hand-drawn, hand-animated characters, enemies and weapons, all styled after 1930s “rubber-hose” animation. The game is entirely black-and-white, pushing level design to use lighting cues instead of color to guide players. Interactable objects subtly “dance” in frame – a visual nod to period cartoons with practical navigational value.

Audio can be tailored via customizable filters, switching between crisp, modern sound and deliberately degraded effects that emulate old vinyl playback. The presentation aims to preserve period flair while accommodating player preference.

Release and platforms

Mouse: P.I. For Hire is scheduled to release on March 19, 2026 for Xbox Series X|S. The title is developed by Fumi Studios in Warsaw, Poland.

Bottom line: noir casework meets throwback firepower

Mouse: P.I. For Hire weaves case-driven progression into fast, readable combat and a distinct visual identity. For players who like classic shooter speed with modern systems – clue boards, evolving enemies, and a layered hub – this is one to put on the calendar.