Shadowrun (IP)
And you thought the Pandemic was Bad.
| Publishers | FASA
Fantasy Productions Catalyst Game Labs |
|---|---|
| Genres | Scifantasy |
| Website | https://www.catalystgamelabs.com/brands/shadowrun |
Shadowrun is a near-future science-fantasy setting where cybernetics, sorcery, corporate politics, and the world’s secret history take a different meaning. Currently, Shadowrun is owned by Topps, Inc (External Link), and published by Catalyst Labs (External Link). The game is based on creative and extensive use of a D6 system, and has been published since 1989.
A Brief Overview of the Various Editions
Initially designed by Paul Hume, Bob Charrette, and Tom Dowd, the first Shadowrun book launched on 1989, with the Shadowrun, 1st Edition. Shadowrun has had several publication sources and versions since. The following list contains the published material for TTRPG use of the setting:
- 1st Edition (1989): The late 1980’s original. Set in 2050.
- 2nd Edition (1992): Updated rules and timeline to 2053.
- 3rd Edition (1998): Introduction of archetypes, including Rigger Updated timeline to 2060.
- 4th Edition (2005): Introduced Wireless Matrix and unified dice pools.
- 5th Edition (2013): The most current edition. Timeline set to 2075.
- 6th Edition (2019): Streamlined... somewhat controversially.
- 6th World Companion & Edge Mechanic Overhaul (2021+): Licensed creations of the Shadowrun IP into other systems.
Publication History
1989 – FASA Corporation (1st–3rd Editions)
Shadowrun was launched by FASA in 1989. It stood out immediately for combining cyberpunk technology (cyberware, hacking) with fantasy elements (magic, elves, dragons). The original setting was based in Seattle in the year 2050, following a timeline that diverged with the return of magic in 2011. FASA published three core editions through the 1990s, including extensive supplements, location sourcebooks, and novels.
2001 – FanPro LLC
Following FASA's closure in 2001, the Shadowrun license transferred to FanPro LLC, who continued publishing under the 3rd Edition ruleset. FanPro also supported the Shadowrun Missions organized play program and maintained continuity with previous material.
2005 – Catalyst Game Labs (4th Edition to Present)
In 2007, Catalyst Game Labs took over the Shadowrun license. They launched 4th Edition, updating the setting to 2070 and streamlining Matrix rules. Catalyst has since published 5th Edition (2013) and 6th Edition (2019), each iterating on mechanics and metaplot. As of 2025, Catalyst remains the primary publisher.
Game Setting
The Shadowrun Setting is a meta-history, scifantasy setting that began, in-canon, on December 24, 2011, when the world Awakened. You are a Shadowrunner sometime after that. Narratively, the 2012 Mayan apocalypse happened. Magic started working again, and a dragon was sighted over Mount Fuji. People started giving birth to Elves and Dwarves, technology naturally progressed, and cities became the sprawls we know. Later, Orcs and Trolls started showing up in the genome, and eventually a dragon took over BMW, turning it into Europe’s premier megacorp and governing authority.
The Sixth World and the Awakening
The Shadowrun setting takes place in the late 21st century after a magical phenomenon known as the Awakening returns arcane forces to Earth. Dragons emerge, magic reasserts itself, and humans undergo Goblinization, transforming into orks, trolls, elves, and dwarfs. The world quickly becomes a fusion of corporate dystopia, urban fantasy, and near-future tech.
The current era is known as the Sixth World, a term derived from Mayan and occult traditions suggesting cyclical epochs of magic and civilization.
Magic, Technology, and the Metahuman Condition
Magic and technology coexist uneasily. Cybernetic implants improve physical abilities but dampen magical potential. The Matrix (successor to the Internet) allows full-immersion VR and AI interaction. Megacorporations wield extraterritorial power, often rivaling nations. Shadowrunners—independent operatives—live off the grid, working in the cracks of this system.
Players build characters from archetypes like Street Samurai, Deckers, Shamans, Mages, and Riggers, and engage in heists, espionage, and survival missions.
The Shadowrun
A "Shadowrun" is a job conducted illegally and anonymously, often commissioned by corporations or criminal groups to acquire, destroy, or protect information, tech, or people. The genre fusion of noir crime, political intrigue, and post-human philosophy defines the narrative tone.
The game explores the blurred lines between humanity and machine, tradition and progress, freedom and survival.
