Bad Robot Games has shared new details on 4:Loop, its upcoming cooperative shooter for PlayStation 5, highlighting one of the game’s most unusual enemies yet: the ominous cube-shaped Scanner boss.

In a new developer blog post, Chief Creative Officer and Game Director Mike Booth explained how the team designed the Scanner to challenge players through movement, teamwork, and strategy rather than straightforward gunfire. The result is a boss encounter focused on survival, coordination, and high-pressure decision-making.

4:Loop Bosses Focus on Unique Gameplay Challenges

According to Booth, every boss in 4:Loop is designed to feel completely different, both visually and mechanically. Rather than repeating the same combat formula, each encounter pushes players to adapt their loadouts, communication, and tactics.

The Scanner was created as a battle centered around navigation, spatial awareness, and cross-map teamwork. Instead of simply unloading damage into a target, players must constantly move, coordinate from multiple angles, and respond to changing battlefield conditions.

This approach reflects the core design philosophy behind 4:Loop, where improvisation and cooperative problem-solving are central to the experience.

The Scanner Uses a Deadly Laser Matrix

Unlike traditional bosses, the Scanner does not directly attack players with weapons. Instead, it covers the arena in a massive Laser Matrix, internally nicknamed the “Grid of Doom.”

This grid is made up of bright red lasers that slowly sweep across the map. One hit is enough to knock a player down, while a second hit removes them from the fight entirely.

At first, the laser grid appears manageable. However, as the battle continues, the gaps become tighter and movement becomes far more dangerous. Players must stay mobile at all times or risk being trapped.

The mechanic turns survival itself into part of the boss battle, forcing players to think several steps ahead.

Destroying the Cube Requires Full Team Coordination

The Scanner’s cube form features six sides, each containing nine destructible tiles. That gives players a total of 54 panels to break.

To expose the boss’s vulnerable Reactor Core, every panel must be destroyed at the same time. Complicating matters further, the cube constantly rotates and shifts sections like a giant puzzle box, while damaged panels eventually regenerate.

This means teams need to split up, attack from multiple directions, and carefully time their efforts. Once the Reactor Core is exposed, players have only a short window to regroup and unleash maximum damage.

Gear Choices Matter Before the Fight

Bad Robot Games also revealed that 4:Loop lets players see which boss awaits them through the game’s Probability Map system.

That means preparation matters. Powerful close-range weapons like shotguns may be less effective against the Scanner’s distant core, while mobility-focused gear could be more valuable for surviving the Laser Matrix.

The system encourages players to plan ahead instead of relying on a single favorite build.

4:Loop Aims for Memorable Co-Op Moments on PlayStation 5

The Scanner is only one of several bosses planned for 4:Loop, with each encounter built to create intense cooperative moments and stories players will remember long after victory or defeat.

With its puzzle-like mechanics and relentless movement demands, the Scanner already stands out as one of the game’s most creative enemies so far.