The season parodies action movies through team dynamics, chases, and fights across eight episodes, without dialogue or subplots addressing systemic issues, identity politics, or critiques of traditional norms. New original characters like Agent One (Jamie, voiced by Fiona Nova), East/Phase, Axel, West, Raymond, and Tiny form the core team; their diversity stems from casting choices rather than alterations to established canon figures. Director Torrian Crawford and lead voice actor Fiona Nova publicly emphasized a diverse cast and behind-the-scenes team as a deliberate evolution to reach new audiences, with Crawford as Rooster Teeth's first Black director on the series.

Shatter Squad features prominent female characters including One and East/Phase, plus the hulking female mechanic Tiny, presented as organic team members in an action-heist style story with no narrative focus on gender or identity. Reception criticized the season for reduced comedy, underdeveloped new characters, and feeling like 'Red vs. Blue in name only,' leading to its later retcon as a simulation, but showed no widespread framing around progressive messaging.