Teaming up with Trancas International Films, Inc., and MIRAMAX, players can expect new versions of The Shape, kicking off with the version of Michael from Halloween 5: The Return of Michael Myers and the version of Michael from Halloween 2018.

In addition, a new map will be added for all players who purchased the game, inspired by the settings of Halloween 5 – The Tower Farm Map – where worn country roads meet at the center of a small, quaint farming community just outside of Haddonfield.

A lit filling station anchors the new map, providing Civilians a reference point as they scramble across wide roads and through cornfields. While the map’s open nature helps with navigation, it also creates a no-man’s land where Civilians can become easy prey. Hide in roadside ditches to stay out of sight, then pray for the perfect moment for a harrowing sprint to safety.

Farmhouses replace suburban homes, shifting the feel and flow of 1v4 multiplayer matches. Farm equipment, hay bales, and overgrown brush turn every yard into a twisted playground for Michael Myers to attack. Barns, sheds, and houses give Civilians a chance to escape, catch their breath, and have a chance at evading the Boogeyman.

A harvest festival, trailer park, and pumpkin-filled gardens bring the new map to autumnal life, lit by the last light of a setting sun. A basement chase or a sprint through the pumpkin patch can go either way: seek new hiding spots and exits while Michael finds fresh ways to stalk his prey.

In addition to the new Tower Farm map and two Michael Myers skins, they will also be introducing two new Civilians, a very special Halloween costume pack, and more in the first of a series of post-launch content updates for Halloween: The Game that will be carried out across the first year.

“1978 was only the beginning,” said Jared Gerritzen, Chief Creative Officer, IllFonic. “With the Tower Farm map, we take the terror of that first event in Haddonfield into somewhere wide open, where there’s nowhere to hide except in the dark – where Michael Myers truly comes to life.”

Here’s the rundown for the October 27 DLC:

DLC: Michael Skins – $9.99 Each

• Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers – $9.99
• Halloween (2018) – $9.99

DLC: Civilian Characters Pack – $9.99 for Both

• Michelle (Female) and Eugene (Male)

DLC: Civilian Costumes Pack 1 – $9.99 for All

• Halloween Costumes
• 14 Outfits, 1 Per Character
• 42 Tints

Map # 5 – Free

• “The Tower Farm”

Features / Fixes / QoL – Free

As for future DLC, players can expect free and paid DLC this winter, next spring and summer.

Halloween: The Game is now available digitally on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store.

The physical versions for PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series launch tomorrow on October 6.

The post First DLC for ‘Halloween: The Game’ Arrives October 27, Featuring a Free ‘Halloween 5’ Map appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

“October has arrived, which means Halloween is right around the corner, and nobody loves this haunting holiday quite like the people of Haddonfield,” says the team’s post on X. “We have big plans to celebrate the season of scares with this community, and can’t wait to share more details about the costumes, content, and more headed to Halloween: The Game.”

And as mentioned, the physical release for Halloween: The Game will launch for the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series on October 6. Teaming up with Nighthawk Interactive, there will be two editions for the physical edition: the Standard Edition will be available for MSRP $39.99, while the Limited Collector’s Edition will be available for MSRP $149.99.

The Standard Edition of Halloween: The Game will include a copy of the game for PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X, an exclusive poster, and advance access to the Michael Myers Clown skin and two civilian cosmetics.

Meanwhile, the Limited Collector’s Edition will include a copy of the game, plus an exclusive Trick or Treat Studios Shape Jump variant action figure, exclusive lenticular art, an exclusive poster, advance access to the Michael Myers Samhain and Clown skins, advance access to the two civilian cosmetics from the Standard edition and two additional civilian cosmetics, and more.

Halloween: The Game is now available digitally on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store. Check out our review if you haven’t done so.

The post IllFonic Teases “Big Plans” for the Season for ‘Halloween: The Game’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

A year’s worth, to be exact.

The nationwide search is open to anyone 21 and older in the US who can legally prove their name is Michael Myers. Eligible participants can enter for the chance to receive cash for a year’s supply of Voodoo Ranger beer along with a copy of Halloween: The Game. 

Slasher Manhunt will culminate in New York City on October 7 with Party Without Fear, a Halloween activation created in partnership with Halloween: The Game. Real-life Michael Myerses will be invited to Ray’s on the Lower East Side to show a valid ID for a special reward, while guests can enjoy Slasher IPA, game demos and exclusive giveaways.

“Being named Michael Myers has come with enough baggage, so we’re here with the beer,” said Kiron Chakraborty, Marketing Director of Voodoo Ranger. “We’re rewarding real Michael Myerses with a year’s supply of Voodoo Ranger because Halloween deserves to be celebrated, not endured. And when it comes to Halloween, there’s no better beer than Voodoo Ranger.“

Voodoo Ranger will reveal select winners and share their stories on October 19, Michael Myers’ birthday.

To enter, eligible Michael Myerses can visit https://www.voodooranger.com/contests/halloween.

Available in stores now, Voodoo Ranger has released a 12-pack titled the Halloween Hoppy Pack, and exclusive to the limited-time pack is a Slasher IPA featuring Michael Myers. Slasher IPA is Voodoo Ranger’s collaboration beer for the Halloween: The Game partnership, and you can only find it in the Hoppy Pack until supplies run out.

There are three cans of the citrusy Slasher IPA in the Halloween Hoppy Pack, along with three cans each of Voodoo Ranger IPA, Voodoo Ranger Imperial IPA, and Citrus Slayer IPA.

Slasher IPA is a 7.5% ABV beer. Drink (and slash) responsibly.

Find a Halloween Hoppy Pack near you on Voodoo Ranger’s website.

The post Voodoo Ranger Launches ‘Slasher Manhunt’ To Give One Real-Life Michael Myers A Year’s Supply of Beer appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

In a blog post over on the game’s official website this afternoon, Illfonic explains that their “efforts to continue improving Halloween: The Game aren’t slowing down” any time soon.

“Our community has done an outstanding job sharing their gameplay highlights, reporting pesky bugs, and providing ample feedback,” the team explains. “We built Halloween: The Game with this passionate, engaged community in mind and greatly appreciate your thoughtful commentary. In an effort to better set expectations with our players, we wanted to spend some time acknowledging some of the issues players have been experiencing since launch, provide status updates on fixes, and briefly discuss what’s next.”

The blog post goes on to discuss performance/stability/crash fixes that are in the works, such as players crashing when Loomis enters the match and players crashing at the end of single-player chapters, as well as issues with challenges, achievements, and trophies.

Illfonic details, “Our team aimed to deliver a robust, satisfying progression system with a strong suite of challenges on day one. As fellow players, we understand how important those rewards are to the overall gameplay hook. We’ve made enormous strides since our Early Access launch to address many of the issues impacting Challenges, Achievements, and Trophies, but we are aware of lingering problems causing frustration with our players. Chasing down, correcting, and tuning these remaining challenge-related pain points is a priority for our team.”

They note that bug fixes will be “an ongoing priority” for Halloween: The Game, and they’re particularly focused on balance adjustments for near-future updates for the slasher game.

“As with any asymmetrical horror title, maintaining the satisfying game of cat and mouse is essential,” they explain. “We want to ensure both Michael and Civilian gameplay remains engaging and we provide players with ample counters to the strategic problems other players throw their way. Players can expect consistent, carefully considered balance adjustments with future updates, starting with the Bob-shaped elephant in the room. Our team is planning a series of changes designed to reduce the excessive effectiveness of select perks and provide the Boogeyman with horrifying options to combat would-be Bob Squads. We feel that it should be more difficult to stagger Michael, especially after successive downs.”

When can we expect some of these changes? Illfonic teases, “We know players are eager to hear about what comes next for Halloween: The Game. We are currently targeting an update early next week designed to tackle a host of these known issues, bug fixes, and balance adjustments. Improving the foundational experience is incredibly important for our team as we prepare for larger gameplay updates and future content plans. In addition to next week’s patch, we are planning a Quality of Life update in early October that will provide more fixes and improvements.

“And with Halloween right around the corner, we have exciting plans to celebrate Michael’s big month with all of you.”

Read the full update over on the official Halloween: The Game website.

The post ‘Halloween: The Game’ Developers Tease What’s Next… appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The team explains, “Since our Early Access launch, our team has been working hard to quickly address reported bugs, improve performance, evaluate game feedback, and refine the overall experience for players. We’ve already implemented various server-side adjustments, one hotfix, and our Day One Patch. With the release of 1.0.2, we are excited to deliver our second hotfix.”

“Today’s update tackles a wide range of issues affecting game performance and stability, player interactions, challenges, achievements, and Prestige, alongside numerous bug fixes and carefully considered balance adjustments,” Illfonic previews. “Thanks so much to everyone who’s jumped in and joined us in Haddonfield so far. We greatly appreciate all the feedback and remain committed to enriching the distinct horror sandbox of Halloween: The Game.”

Here’s the full list of Patch Notes 1.0.2 for Halloween: The Game… 

Crashes, Stability, and Interactions

Crashes and Stability

Patch 1.0.2 introduces numerous crash fixes and stability improvements across all platforms. We are collecting community feedback and investigating further optimization opportunities.

Xbox Series S

Our team is aware of performance and stability issues disproportionately impacting Xbox Series S players. We are actively working to improve visual fidelity, overall performance, and memory-related crashes. Players can expect additional focused fixes and improvements with an upcoming patch.

Interactions

We’ve made several fixes to issues that were impacting player interactions and interaction prompts disappearing. This is an ongoing process, and we will be continuously investigating issues of this nature. We appreciate any and all feedback related to player interactions

• Fixed several issues that were causing certain items to not be obtainable due to collision issues
• Fixed an issue where the interaction prompts could disappear after an NPC has moved the player out of position while the player in engaged in conversation
• Fixed an issue where the interaction prompts could disappear after a Civilian was affected by any collision while Grabbed
• Fixed an issue where the interaction prompts could disappear when the Fragile Hourglass was used on Michael while he is downed
• Fixed an issue where the interaction prompts for certain Escapes would disappear after repairing the Escape Car

Challenge, Prestige, and Achievements

We understand the frustrations players have experienced when it comes to specific challenges, achievements, and our Prestige system not functioning as intended. Our team actively investigated many of the biggest pain points our community was facing and worked to quickly address many of them with 1.0.2. The fixes introduced today make obtaining singleplayer challenges far more consistent, though we’ve identified additional ways to improve in-game messaging and the overall player experience, which we aim to address in future updates.

Various progression blockers for Passive and Progressive Challenges have also been corrected, alongside a fix for the issue preventing players from properly engaging with our Prestige Challenges. Thanks for all your patience and understanding. We’ll continue monitoring any other potential problems with challenges.

Challenges

• Fixed an issue where certain challenges that required the player to escort Residents to an escape were not being tracked properly
• Fixed an issue where certain challenges that required the player to survive a match were not being tracked properly
• Fixed an issue where the Killer Passive Challenge “Weight of the Mask” was not being tracked properly
• Fixed an issue where the Rachel Progressive Challenge “Superstitious Tools” was not tracking the properly based on the description
• Fixed an issue where the Rachel Progressive Challenge “Ward Off Evil” was gaining additional progress
• Fixed an issue where the Hatchet Progressive Challenge “Wheels Clipped” was not tracking properly
• Fixed an issue where the Kitchen Knife Progressive Challenge “Edge of the Blade” was not tracking properly

Story Mode Challenges

• Fixed an issue where the Prologue Challenge 6 was not being tracked properly
• Fixed an issue for Chapter 2 Challenge 6 where certain executions would count the player as alerting someone
• Fixed an issue for Chapter 4 Challenge 2 that would cause Lynda to immediately leave the bedroom after Bob has been killed
• Fixed an issue for Chapter 5 Challenge 1 where the flashlights were required to be completely drained to complete the challenge

Achievements/Trophies
Fixed several issues that were causing the following achievements/trophies to not track properly:

• Purist
• Close Quarters
• No Friend Left Behind
• Natural Observer
• Stalker

Prestige
• Reenabled Prestige Challenges
• Fixed an issue where an active Prestige Challenge was preventing players from entering matchmaking

Balance Changes

Our team has been incredibly excited to have more opportunities to hop online and play matches with the community following our official launch on Tuesday. It’s been rewarding watching players craft their own Perk Decks, construct their distinct Michael loadouts, and discover the layered systems of Halloween: The Game. For this patch, we wanted to make a few focused balance adjustments.

We’re continuing to carefully monitor gameplay balance between Michael and Civilians to ensure matches feel tense and satisfying for both sides. We are gathering community feedback, playtesting changes, and factoring in match data to make the best decisions focused on ironing out additional instances of imbalance. We greatly appreciate the passionate exploration and discovery that’s helping us further identify and address the most problematic encounters. Keep it coming!

Bloodthirst Early Game
Bloodthirst Tiers enable Michael to bolster his damage resistance, grab strength, melee damage, ability cooldowns, Shape Jump speed, and more to drastically increase his capabilities. We’ve made the following change to improve Michael’s early game effectiveness:

• Increased Michael’s base damage resistance
• Increased Michael’s Bloodthirst tier 1 and 2 damage resistance

Lethal Pitch Perk
The Lethal Pitch Perk was showing itself to be far too effective in its upper tiers. We’ll be carefully watching this perk and many others to identify further balance opportunities.

• Lowered the effectiveness of tiers 2, 3, 4, and 5 of Lethal Pitch Perk

Pocket Knives
With Pocket Knives being equippable as a Starting Item for Civilians, we’ve made the decision to reduce the total number of Pocket Knives and Icepicks available on each map. We want these items to feel valuable to players and provide rare opportunities for clutch moments of survival. We’ll continue monitoring the quantity and placement of these items as well.

• Reduced the amount of Grab Escape Items (such as the Pocket Knife) spawns across all maps and locations

General

• Fixes an issue where the escape car could behave erratically while escaping
• Fixed an issue where the Redeem button in the Redeem Code menu was not working properly when using a controller
• Fixed an issue where the facial animations would sometimes not play correctly on certain characters
• Fixed an issue where players would not obtain any XP when leaving the match as a Spectator

Civilians

• Fixed an issue where the Brimstone Fuse trait effect was being calculated incorrectly
• Fixed an issue where the Loomis Reinforcements Perk Card was not working properly
• Fixed an issue where Followers would close and lock doors on the player
• Fixed an issue where players spawning in as the Police would sometimes be missing dialogue and VOIP facial animations
• Fixed an issue where collisions could cause players in the vehicle to take several instances of additional damage
• Fixed an issue where the limited promotional “Regal” Eyewear was missing for Rachel

Killer

• Fixed an issue where it was possible to kill Michael while he is interacting with the Storm Cellar and Exit Gate
• Made improvements to the knockback animations for Michael when colliding with a high speed vehicle

Maps

• Fixed an issue preventing rain VFX from appearing correctly in Public Matches

The post ‘Halloween: The Game’ Rolls Out Second Patch Update – Here’s the Full List of Changes appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

After Chelsea Krause revealed earlier that she was the one providing voice work for Laurie Strode in the game’s single-player and multiplayer modes, it turns out that The Dead Meat Podcast’s own Chelsea Rebecca did some voice acting herself for the game.

Amongst the various citizens of Haddonfield, Rebecca also voiced the ill-fated Judith Myers.

Chelsea spilled the beans yesterday after Halloween: The Game launched for PC and consoles, taking to Instagram with the news.

“THRILLED to finally say I voice horror’s most iconic big sister (and lots of hapless victims) in Halloween: The Game, out today,” says Rebecca. “Thank you to the best session directors ever, [Halloween: The Game writers] Elyse Willems and James Willems, the team at IllFonic, and Sandy Johnson for making Judith so legendary in the first place. Let me know if you somehow fail the “Kill Judith” mission like I did the first time, something I did not even realize was possible.”

Dead Meat Podcast co-host James A. Janisse chimed in via a YouTube Short, stating how they had been sitting on this news for “so long.” And as a bonus, over on Dead Meat Games, James, Chelsea and the crew livestreamed a session playing Halloween: The Game, which you can check out here.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Chelsea Rebecca (@carebecc)

The post Dead Meat’s Chelsea Rebecca Voiced Judith Myers in ‘Halloween: The Game’ [Video] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

According to the SteamDB stats, Halloween: The Game currently sits at a 24-hour peak of just over 33,000 players. Again, this is still just after one day, but that’s still good enough for landing the game among the more popular titles this week on Steam.

[Related] ‘Halloween: The Game’ Day One Patch Notes – Here’s the Full List

Furthermore, it’s also among the top new releases in terms of player count behind last week’s Onimusha: Way of the Sword and The Blood of Dawnwalker.

That’s not all. Drilling down into the debuts of other asymmetrical multiplayer horror titles, Halloween: The Game comes out on top in terms of debut player counts on Steam. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre debuted to 17k players, Friday The 13th: The Game launched with 16k players, and Dead by Daylight garnered 18k players on its launch.

Halloween: The Game beat all of them with over 22,000 players at launch.

Admittedly, 500,000 players isn’t quite the same as Onimusha: Way of the Sword selling one million units on launch day, but it’s a different genre, and a different audience. The real test will be a month from now, when the physical release launches on October 6 for those who are holding out for a disc. We’ll see if IllFonic is able to retain and grow the player base.

As the devteam states, the game’s launch is only the beginning of the Boogeyman’s journey…

In addition to Steam, Halloween: The Game is out now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, as well as the Epic Games Store. The disc version will be available for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series.

[Related] Chelsea Krause Voices Laurie Strode in ‘Halloween: The Game’

The post ‘Halloween: The Game’ Gets Over Half a Million Players at Launch; Most Popular Asym Horror Launch Ever on Steam appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The video game, however, doesn’t have the rights to use Jamie Lee Curtis’ actual likeness, so the game’s version of Laurie Strode looks a little bit different. But what you likely realized is that the game’s Laurie definitely SOUNDS like Jamie Lee Curtis, leading many fans to wonder if the actress actually did voice work for the game. Of course, that is not actually the case.

So who voiced Laurie Strode for Halloween: The Game? That’d be actress Chelsea Krause, who took to social media over the weekend to reveal that she’s the voice behind the game’s Laurie.

Krause writes on Twitter, “I’ve seen quite a lot of people asking- no none of the lines in single player or multiplayer are Jamie Lee Curtis. All of Laurie’s lines/screams/efforts for Halloween: The Game are me! Almost half of my sessions were me matching single player to the movie.”

“Matching Jamie’s tone, musicality, while still being a good actor was difficult but rewarding,” Chelsea Krause wrote in response to a fan. “Wanted to do right by her and all of you!”

Krause notes in another reply tweet, “I had to match voice, musicality, and add emotion so I’d do takes A LOT to get it right.”

Chelsea Krause has done voice work for many video games in recent years, including Starsand Island, The Necromancer’s Tale, Dune: Awakening, Go Home Annie, Realm of Ink, Kristala, Memento Mori, Path to Nowhere, Watcher of Realms, and A Night in Berlin.

She’s also been featured in various podcasts including Set Sail!, The Technomancy Project, Thank Goodness It’s Family, Ominous Thrill, Lucidus Somnia, The Love Talker, Close Your Eyes, When Tower Angels Fall, DragonElf, 7 Suspects, Age of Valor: Heritage, and The Oasis Transmissions.

Chelsea’s bio on her official website details, “Chelsea Krause (she/her/they/them) is a voice actor based in Los Angeles, California.

“Born and raised in south Louisiana, Chelsea has been acting since age twelve. She received a double bachelors in Theatre and Marketing from Southeastern Louisiana University. Chelsea has worked as a film and theatre actor from New Orleans to New York City.

“Chelsea has been doing voices and impressions since they were six years old. She knew voice acting was her desired path in life at fifteen but wouldn’t discover the resources to pursue it until later in life.​ Chelsea has leant her voice to video games, animation, anime, live action dubbing, voice matching, IVR, corporate narrations, and commercials.

“Chelsea is also a producer, writer, and actor for audio fiction podcasting.​ Her performance as Dr. Lauren Wood on The Oasis Transmissions has been nominated for two Audio Verse Awards. She and the cast of Lucidus Somnia also won best ensemble performance at the ISA’s in 2024. Her production company Imagination Swingset Productions has produced three 48 Hour Audio Drama Festivals and will have more works coming soon!

“Chelsea is also well known in the voice over community on TikTok where she does impressions, character breakdowns, and records talks to help train and encourage others to begin voice acting.”

Head over to ChelseaKrause.com to learn more about Krause’s career.

I’ve seen quite a lot of people asking- no none of the lines in single player or multiplayer are Jamie Lee Curtis. All of Laurie’s lines/screams/efforts for Halloween the Game are me! Almost half of my sessions were me matching single player to the movie.

— Chelsea Krause (@ChelseaMKrause) September 6, 2026

The post Chelsea Krause Voices Laurie Strode in ‘Halloween: The Game’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

But first off, Illfonic has a special surprise for everyone who played in Early Access.

The developers have announced, “We’re granting 5,000 free Perk Points to every player who logged in to Halloween: The Game during Early Access (prior to 9 AM PST on 09/08/26).”

“We spent much of this past weekend monitoring your experiences, watching your hilarious gameplay highlights, sharing sandbox moments with players, and most importantly working to refine Halloween: The Game,” the team said in an official statement. “Our Day One Patch includes a host of critical fixes, balance adjustments, and gameplay improvements.”

Here’s the full list of Day One Patch Notes for Halloween: The Game… 

Crossplay

With 1.0.1, our team is excited to address the cross-play matchmaking issue players were experiencing during Early Access. Cross-play party members now follow their leader into a matchmade lobby instead of being kicked to the main menu or dropped from the party.

NPC Behavior

We are continuing to make improvements to overall NPC behavior and pathing. Below you will find the AI tuning introduced with 1.0.1.

• Improved NPC pathing to prevent instances where Police NPCs would get stuck in certain locations
• Improved NPC pathing to prevent instances where Residents would not be able to path into Escapes.

Challenges/Achievements

Patch 1.0.1 provides additional fixes to challenges and achievements that weren’t tracking properly. We understand how important it is for players to obtain the rewards they’ve earned and we will continue identifying outliers and implementing fixes with future updates.

Stamina Changes

We’ve been closely monitoring the balance between Michael and Civilians when it comes to Athleticism, Stamina, and the chase. We’ve implemented a handful of key adjustments to ensure Michael can consistently apply pressure to Civilians in the open while also addressing some notable disparity between lower and higher levels of Athleticism for Civilians.

• Increased Civilian Base Stamina Regen Delay Time
• Increased the Stamina Consumption caused by Evil Presence on affected targets
• Stalked targets are now affected by reduced Stamina Regen Rate and increased Stamina Regen Delay Time (amount dependent on the Stalk level)

Athleticism Levels 1-4:
• Exhausted Duration has been decreased, allowing Civilians with lower Athleticism to recover from the Exhausted state faster
• The delay before stamina begins regenerating has been decreased, ensuring quicker recovery between actions for Civilians with lower Athleticism
• Stamina Regen Rate has been increased so Civilians with lower Athleticism recover stamina faster

Athleticism Levels 6-10:
• Slightly reduced Max Stamina to maintain chase tension with Civilians with higher Athleticism
• Reduced Stamina Regen Rate of Civilians with higher Athleticism to balance player mobility

Escapes

Halloween: The Game is a nuanced horror title with many evolving layers. In an effort to ease the new-player experience and help Civilian players identify objectives, we’ve increased the range in which players uncover Escapes. We’ve also heard the general feedback regarding Civilian onboarding and are investigating other improvements.

• Civilians now discover Escapes from farther away

General

• Various Crash Fixes
• Made adjustments to end of match scoring to better balance Civilian and Michael win conditions
• Reduced the amount of force that vehicles apply to characters at low speeds
• Reduced the delay when with Perk related interactions in the Graveyard
• Increased the pre-match countdown for Public Match lobbies when the lobby is not yet full
• Increased Broken Down Car Max Health
• Fixed an issue where the achievement for completing Chapter 5 was not being awarded
• Fixed an issue where the NPC’s time to struggle free while grabbed was not properly scaling with difficulty in Story Mode
• Fixed an issue where related interaction prompts could disappear after using certain interactions
• Fixed an issue where grab executions could cause the victim to become alerted even if they had been unaware prior to being grabbed
• Fixed an issue where the variable weather system was not properly activating in Public Matches
• Fixed an issue where escaping at certain locations would not cause the character’s body to disappear

Civilians

• Each Perk Deck now has a limit of 2 copies of the same perk. Existing Perk Decks will have Perk Cards automatically un-equipped if over the limit
• Improved Civilian Melee attack animations when aiming downwards
• Increased the amount of XP required for the initial in-game perk rolls
• Fixed an issue where the in-game perk rolling menu may become stuck
• Fixed an issue where residents that are hidden in Hiding Spots were not appearing on Civilian minimaps
• Fixed an issue where the player would not resume weapon aiming after being startled

Killer

• Increased diminishing returns when blinding Michael more than once within a short period of time
• Increased the effectiveness of Detection Pulse for locating residents in Hiding Spots
• Increased duration of Stalk Markers on Stalked Civilians after line of sight has been broken
• Stalked targets now have an easier time struggling free when grabbed at Stalk level 1 and 2
• Fixed an issue where Shape Dash VFX would persist after exiting Shape Jump
• Fixed an issue where Michael would sometimes become invisible for other players under certain conditions
• Fixed an issue where Michael would not enter Shape Jump when using Reality Tear while getting up from a downed state

Maps

• Public Matches will no longer have maps repeat until cycling through every available map
• Increased amount of Repair Kits that spawn each match
• Fixed several locations where the interactions were inaccessible under certain conditions
• Fixed several Hiding Spot related collision issues
• Fixed an issue where dead bodies hidden in Hiding Spots could still be visible
• Fixed an issue where the wooden board escape blockers would sometimes disappear without being destroyed

Illfonic notes, “While we are pleased to roll out these changes, players can also look forward to additional updates and improvements in the near future. We are nowhere near done in Haddonfield!”

The post ‘Halloween: The Game’ Day One Patch Notes – Here’s the Full List of Gameplay Improvements appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Stream the episode below. Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, and RSS. New to the Halloweenies? Catch up with the gang by revisiting their essential episodes on past franchises such as Halloween, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Scream, The Evil Dead, Chucky, Alien, and the Universal Monsters.This year? Hellraiser!

You can also become a member of their Patreon, The Rewind, for hilariously irreverent commentaries (e.g. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Re-Animator, Darkman), one-off deep dives on your favorite rentals (e.g. Killer Klowns from Outer Space, Manhunter, ), and even spinoffs like their recent run Fortune & Glory: An Indiana Jones Podcast.

Facebook | Instagram | X | Patreon | Store

The post ‘Halloween: The Game’ – First Impressions and Wicked Wishes [Halloweenies Podcast] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

It’s Halloween night, 1978, and while unsuspecting families in the quiet suburbs of Haddonfield enjoy trick-or-treating, evil has made its way home.

Become immersed in the single-player story mode through six haunting chapters narrated by Dr. Sam Loomis to uncover how Michael Myers acquired his iconic blue jumpsuit, mask, and kitchen knife. Recreate the notorious babysitter encounter with a sandbox approach rewarding patient, brutal, and methodical playstyles alike.

Join 1v4 matches as either the Boogeyman himself or a Civilian trying to save the day. As Michael, stalk innocent residents using a nightmarish array of abilities, leveraging shadows and stealth to paint the town red. As a citizen of Haddonfield, alert other residents to the danger lurking in the dark and help them escape by calling the police, arming themselves with everyday household items, and overpowering the unkillable monster until everyone can escape.

Powered by Unreal Engine 5, Halloween: The Game aims to deliver the ultimate horror sandbox experience with an expansive array of dynamic map features, distinct gameplay systems, life-like NPC interactions, hauntingly realistic visuals, and endless scares just in time for Halloween.

“Everyone at Compass is thrilled to see this game get to longtime fans of the Michael Myers universe. It’s also been extremely exciting to see a whole new generation of fans find their way into Haddonfield. I cannot wait to see you all in the game,” says Malek Akkad, President of Compass International Pictures, Inc.

“Seeing Halloween: The Game finally in the community’s hands is the payoff of years of work honoring Moustapha Akkad and John Carpenter’s legacies,” said Jared Gerritzen, Chief Creative Officer at IllFonic. “For anyone who wants Michael Myers on their shelf as well as their consoles, the physical edition will be out just in time for Halloween. We hope fans have as much fun this October as we had recreating the terrifying events of 1978!”

And in case you missed it, here’s Harrison’s review of the game.

The post Stalk The Streets of Haddonfield Today in ‘Halloween: The Game’ on PC and Consoles [Trailer] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Launched this past Friday in Early Access for those who pre-ordered the Digital Deluxe Edition, Halloween: The Game has a mini game feature that allows the characters to have sex!

Well, at least it did earlier this weekend…

How it worked was that when two civilian characters ended up in a closet together, one could “ask out” the other one. If both characters consented, it would trigger a mini game within the closet that allowed the characters to make love off screen. Sex is of course a staple of the early slasher movement, but it seems the unique mini game brought an unintended side effect along with it.

While most of the characters you get to play as in Halloween: The Game are Haddonfield teenagers, Donald Pleasence’s Doctor Loomis is also a playable character. And when a video went viral this weekend of Loomis having sex with a Haddonfield teen in a closet, well, it seems that Illfonic had no choice but to pull the “ask out” mini game feature out of the game entirely.

Illfonic hasn’t actually addressed any of this at this point in time, and it’s possible the mini game could be re-added to the game in a way that doesn’t allow anyone playing as Loomis to engage in any sexual activity. But it’s also possible the mini game never makes a return in any capacity.

We’ll let you know if we hear any official updates on this controversial feature.

UPDATE – 9/7/2026: 9:30am ET – Illfonic has released the following official statement: “Players may have noticed that our latest hotfix removed the Two-Person Power-Up minigame. This was due to an unintended issue that allowed end game reinforcement characters to engage with the minigame, which was a major oversight on our part. We have more content and minigames coming in the near future but current focus is our attention on immediate game needs.”

Halloween: The Game will be available to everyone (digitally) on September 8.

HALLOWEEN: THE GAME elimina su polémica mecánica de sexo en el armario, debido a las quejas de la comunidad.

La controversia estalló porque Loomis (unos 60 años) podía activar la escena con personajes de 17 años, como Laurie o Lynda.pic.twitter.com/XUK4jTUBCr

— TerrorActo (@TerrorActo_) September 6, 2026

The post ‘Halloween: The Game’ Removes Controversial Mini Game Allowing Characters to Have Sex appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

That means horror fans have been brutally murdering innocent Haddonfield civilians all weekend long, and our social media feeds are flooded with gameplay videos detailing the good and the bad of the latest multiplayer slasher experience. As a civilian, you’re tasked with surviving one terrifying night. But as Michael Myers, you’re the one dishing out the brutal punishment.

Halloween: The Game finally gives fans of the franchise the opportunity to step into the mask and coveralls of Michael Myers and stalk and slash their way through Haddonfield on Halloween night, and we’ve come across a compilation video that shows off some of the many executions available to those who decide to play the game as John Carpenter’s iconic Shape.

From crushing a victim’s head with a motorcycle to impaling another through the mouth with a flamingo lawn decoration, the executions in Halloween: The Game are certainly a lot more gruesome than any of the kills in John Carpenter’s original horror classic. The game’s gory deaths remind us far more of the kills in David Gordon Green’s Halloween trilogy.

Once you grab hold of a victim, you’re able to execute a number of different fatalities, or you can throat-carry them to nearby items and use your surroundings for specialized environment kills. Of course, if you’d prefer, you can simply slash them up with an axe or a kitchen knife.

The choice is yours. Watch a killer compilation of Halloween: The Game executions below! And keep in mind that this is just a very small sample of the game’s most gruesome moments…

Read the Bloody Disgusting review of Halloween: The Game.

A bunch of executions from the Halloween video game pic.twitter.com/nvnKbA11qz

— GOREJIRλ (@GOREJ1RA) September 3, 2026

The post ‘Halloween: The Game’ – Watch a Compilation of Brutal Michael Myers Executions appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The developers’ take on this pioneering slasher is more or less what you’d expect given their track record, utilizing a lot of the same mechanics, balancing systems, and item types that we’ve seen in their previous works (hello, trusty firecrackers!). However, Halloween: The Game is crucially more than a copy-and-paste job that merely relocates the action from Camp Crystal Lake to Haddonfield, Illinois and calls it a day. Instead, it finds a number of exciting ways to innovate and be uniquely Halloween.

The end result is by no means perfect, and is in dire need of refinement when it comes to the technical aspects (more on that later). Nevertheless, the core foundations are strong. With fresh twists on the tired killer-vs-survivor dynamic and a welcome emphasis on methodical stealth, it truly immerses you in “the night he came home” and feels like an authentic representation of its source material.

That’s what’ll hopefully give it an edge over its competitors and ensure it has legs beyond the coming spooky season.

Death Has Come to Haddonfield

Disregarding the knotted continuity and baggage of the wider franchise, Halloween: The Game is set on October 31, 1978, thus only dealing with the events of the very first movie. That means no Haddonfield Memorial Hospital, no Jamie Lloyd, no familial connection between Michael Myers and Laurie Strode, and no sign of whatever that white horse was supposed to be in Rob Zombie’s version.

With it being just original recipe Halloween, and therefore a much cleaner canon, the game’s narrative framing couldn’t be simpler. Michael has broken out of Smith’s Grove Sanitarium and, compelled by sheer instinct, is drawn inexorably back to his hometown. There, he will attempt to satiate a (seemingly insatiable) biological imperative of his by prowling the suburbs and killing as many people as he can. There’s no greater motive at play. No detailed plan formulating behind his black, soulless eyes. No hint whatsoever of remorse. Only a single-minded compulsion to snuff out more lives.

If you’re the one roleplaying as the boogeyman in this scenario, then your objective is accordingly very straightforward. All you’ve got to do is rack up the largest possible body count and avoid getting detained by the authorities.

Conversely, if you’ve been cast as one of the four “civilian” players in the match, then you’ll be focused on preventing this senseless bloodshed and minimizing further casualties. That might sound like business as usual for this sort of thing, but — in a clever subversion that helps distinguish the experience from other asymmetrical titles out there — you’re discouraged from looking out for number one and number one only.

You see, while you’ll need to prioritize self-preservation to at least a certain extent, you’re also expected to protect the blissfully ignorant residents of Haddonfield and stop them from waltzing right into the pointy end of Michael’s kitchen knife, which is where things get a little more interesting.

Protecting Haddonfield Instead of Just Escaping

In addition to the four player-controlled survivors, each match here is populated by NPC fodder just going about their lives without a care in the world. They’re the babysitters nattering away on landlines, the minimum wage staff closing up shops, the athletes pumping iron in their garage-gyms, and the recluses who elect to spend Halloween night alone watching scary movies in the dark.

From Michael’s perspective, these sitting ducks won’t put up much of a fight and, when it comes to selecting his targets, he’s not going to discriminate between them and the wilier players who are likely to give him hassle. So, it’s your responsibility to increase the herd’s chances of survival and prepare everyone for what’s coming.

Doing so will require you to take on the mantle of de facto town crier and go from house to house alerting these oblivious members of the public to the terrible evil that is heading their way. Pending a successful QTE minigame, which determines how cogent your warnings are, they should eventually accept the dire situation, at which point they’ll put their fates entirely in your hands.

From there, you’ll be able to boss the NPCs around however you see fit. For instance, it might be prudent to arm them with weapons and have them join your immediate posse. Alternatively, you could urge them to call the police and help amplify your message, instruct them to secure their homes and wait until the cavalry arrives, or advise them to hide somewhere until you’ve managed to unlock an emergency exit.

On that note, getting everyone safely out of dodge is going to be your primary goal, and so you’ll need to hatch some kind of escape plan, be it unlocking a storm shelter, prising open a padlocked gate or repairing a getaway vehicle. Veterans of Killer Klowns and Friday the 13th: The Game will immediately recognize what’s being asked of them here and ought to be familiar with many of the basic steps involved.

Like in those games, it’s on civilians to agree upon a mutual extraction strategy, to scavenge for the requisite items needed to facilitate it, to nail the skill checks associated with said objects, and to slip away before the killer notices anything is awry. Even the specific interactions you’ll be performing are liable to induce a sense of déjà vu, with you filling up car gas tanks and replacing fuses to power up doors. It’s all stuff you’ve done a million times before, and it doesn’t take very long to get back into the swing of it.

Where it’s complicated somewhat in this instance, though, is that you’ve got to juggle these maintenance tasks with escorting the NPC lemmings to safety. Because even if every player-controlled character manages to elude Michael’s clutches, it won’t matter if he’s still able to slaughter the rest of the neighborhood unimpeded. As long as more corpses are tallied during the end-of-match census than living, breathing people, he still wins.

It’s a smart twist on the asymmetrical premise that fundamentally changes how you approach civilian gameplay. After all, you could have an easy getaway opportunity staring you right in the face but, if no fellow citizens are making it out with you, then it’s going to be a hollow victory. You’ll only find yourself spectating afterwards as your more diligent companions try to pick up the slack (or worse, as Michael takes out defenseless bots without any resistance).

Should you fall in the line of duty, on the other hand, your rescue efforts aren’t necessarily going to be in vain, and you can still be invested in witnessing the outcome of the match. Indeed, it can be kind of thrilling to hang around after death and watch rounds unfold from beyond the grave; curious to know if your contributions will posthumously cinch it for the good guys.

In short, Halloween: The Game is more of a team game than your typical asymmetrical horror, with you being incentivized to actually play the objective for once. There’s a true endorphin rush, as well as a generous XP allowance, that comes whenever you aid a large group in escaping. Meanwhile, you’ll be rewarded vanishingly little for hightailing it out of the danger zone early on and leaving everyone else to fend for themselves.

Becoming the Boogeyman

Incorporating this PvPvE system is perhaps the shrewdest decision IllFonic made here, as it allows them to organically encourage behavior that is conducive to better, livelier matches for everybody. Civilians, for example, have to constantly put themselves in peril and can’t just cower from the sidelines. Likewise, it’s not advantageous for the killer to incessantly grief his opponents, and he has to give them a break every now and then to go pick off a few NPCs. It helps ensure that the cat-and-mouse dynamic has a natural ebb and flow.

On the topic of Myers and his nefarious goals, the developers give you ample chance to learn the ropes of his playstyle via a 2-hour story campaign. It’s technically an optional part of the package, but you are prompted to do it upon loading for the very first time, and it’s recommended as the ideal test environment to get up to speed with all the various mechanics before you then graduate to public matches.

Functioning as a blend of prequel for, retelling of, and eventual epilogue to Carpenter’s film, this solo mode charts Michael’s transformation from anonymous mental patient, whose face is slyly obscured by camera blur, to inhuman shape. It does this over the course of six missions, with each nudging you closer to the events of the game’s centerpiece multiplayer.

Its propulsive opening has you busting out of the asylum — snapping the necks of unwitting orderlies as you go — before then taking you to the outskirts of Haddonfield, where you can get some practice stabs in and eventually procure Michael’s iconic coveralls and mask. From there, we then segue into the narrative beats of Halloween proper, experiencing them afresh from the antagonist’s standpoint.

There are inevitably some great fan service moments to be appreciated along the way, and we’re reticent to spoil any of those. Suffice it to say, you’re often at the scene of the crime and get to enact atrocities that we’re only implied to have happened off-screen in the OG movie.

Not to mention, there are meticulous recreations of famous scenes to admire, with the developers nailing shot compositions, character animations, musical stings and the textured feel of Dean Cundy’s cinematography. One bit, wherein the camera suddenly switches to a different POV, is an especially cool tribute to the original, and a nice surprise that Carpenter devotees will be pleased to discover for themselves.

A Campaign That Doubles as a Tutorial

Aside from offering a new perspective on the classic story, Halloween’s campaign mainly serves as a quasi-tutorial to better acquaint you with the boogeyman’s skillset. Those craving a meatier single-player experience might be disappointed to learn that it amounts to little more than a training ground for the multiplayer headline attraction. Yet this can still be enjoyed on its own terms, as you do get a more controlled and directed scenario than you would in a standard public match.

Owing to an ingenious conceit that has Michael gradually recovering from the effects of a Thorazine injection, administered to him at Smith’s Grove, the mechanics are introduced to you one at a time. As such, you get a dedicated period to experiment with each of them, figuring out their various uses and limitations, so that you can learn to slice and dice with the utmost precision.

Of these unique abilities, the one that you’ll come to rely on most is “Shape Jump”. A traversal power that allows you to literally disappear into the shadows (as long as you’re not in an illuminated area or somebody’s line of sight), this has you shifting into a kind of spectral wraith form that can move faster, remain completely invisible, and even phase through locked doors. It’s a clever in-universe explanation for Michael’s ability to seemingly teleport at will, and also compensates for the fact that the best he can otherwise muster is an unhurried stride at roughly the same pace of continental drift. You’ll be using it all the time to get from A to B, to keep up with fleeing victims and to orchestrate your own devious jump scares.

In addition to this, there’s “Detection Pulse” (a radial ping that highlights people in the immediate vicinity), “Blackout” (a kind of EMP that interferes with light sources and disables other nearby electronics), and “Killer Sense”. The latter is another absolutely vital ability that you’ll want to get to grips with as soon as possible. In a nutshell, it takes you into a first-person view and enables the “stalking” of targets from afar. Maintaining this creepy glare for long enough will build up a meter that, in turn, sees the object of your surveillance getting progressively easier to locate, more susceptible to ambushes, and vulnerable to incoming attacks.

Again, as with “Shape Jump”, it’s an elegant feature that makes you feel like you’re truly embodying the calm, patient adversary that lurked in the background of Carpenter’s frame. You know, as opposed to just some random blunt-force slasher.

Elsewhere, the story mode also gives you a comprehensive rundown of other important mechanics like executions, body disposals, and the game’s escalation system (which can bring heat down on Michael if he’s not suitably discreet). As you can probably tell, there’s an awful lot to wrap your head around, and this review isn’t the appropriate place to cover it all.

The point is that the tutorial does an excellent job of conveying all this information in digestible chunks, making you feel adequately prepared for your big debut online. In fact, we found ourselves wishing that there was an equivalent dress rehearsal for the civilian side of things. As it stands, you’re just thrown into the deep end when you cluelessly step into that survivor role for the first time, leading to all sorts of confusion and frustration arising amongst newbie teammates.

Playing as The Shape is a Satisfying Dream

The addition of extra objectives — similar to those featured in this year’s 007 First Light — gives you an excuse to play through the game’s story multiple times as well, so that you can explore all the different possibilities for terrorizing Haddonfield.

Some of these optional feats will have you coming back to unlock hidden kill animations, while others might challenge you to get through sections undetected or to fastidiously reenact scenes exactly as they occurred in the 1978 flick, rewarding both your cinephile knowledge and your stealth capabilities. For what it’s worth, it makes the campaign seem more like a collection of mini-sandboxes and less like a dry onboarding exercise for the multiplayer component. With that said, we certainly intend to revisit it at a later date and see what else we missed.

Of course, the solo campaign is only meant to be an appetizer for the main course that is Halloween’s online matchmaking. That’s where IllFonic expects you to put the real hours in, and we’re glad to report that it should be well worth your time once the kinks are ironed out (more on that in a moment).

Playing as Michael is every bit the intoxicating power trip you dream it will be. You feel like a legitimately menacing presence whenever you come face to face with another player, and sadistically toying with the NPCs is as enjoyable as in any traditional open-world title.

Staging your own little horror vignettes by exploiting all the game’s systems is an improvisational joy too. If you’re anything like us, you’ll squeal with uncontainable glee (make sure to turn off that proximity chat in such an eventuality) as you build anticipation for the kill: first cutting the power, then dispassionately watching your mark through a blackened window, leisurely pacing around the house, and finally closing the gap on them as they dial 911 in a flustered panic.

On one occasion, we used Shape Jump to startle another player with a jolt so well-choreographed that an outside observer might assume it was scripted. Relishing our victim’s subsequent freak out, we then decided to let them go so that we could savor the chase a while longer. Don’t judge us, it’d be out of character for Mikey to simply get the bloodshed over and done with!

On that note, we really appreciated how differently the shape is portrayed when compared to his most obvious IllFonic counterpart: Jason Voorhees. While the latter was an impulsive wrecking ball fuelled by white-hot rage, the developers understand that Michael requires a more measured and intentional approach. He’s not merely Jason with the hockey mask swapped out for a William Shatner cosplay. He’s more deliberate than that. His playstyle is all about biding your time, drawing out the hunt, silently loitering in the distance, and the illicit thrill of breathing down your victim’s neck without them ever knowing you were there.

Just because he’s a more sophisticated slasher doesn’t mean that there’s no room for Grand Guignol violence, though. On the contrary, there’s excessive brutality to dish out, with some kills that are tied to specific weapons and others that are more context-dependent. We’ve drowned people in toilets, throttled them with phone cords, pressed their faces up against kitchen stoves, dropped jack-lifted vehicles on their heads, and roasted them alive on cozy fireplaces. All in the name of good clean fun.

Killer Tokens Solve a Familiar Multiplayer Problem

We’ve been on the receiving end of our fair share of barbarism as well, getting humbled whenever it’s our turn to adopt the role of prey. Speaking of which, these asymmetrical titles can only run smoothly if people are willing to pay their dues as survivors.

To encourage this in Halloween: The Game, IllFonic has introduced a novel “Killer Tokens” system. In short, Killer Tokens are a resource that can be spent to advance in matchmaking queues whenever you’re itching to play as Michael. Think of them sort of like theme park fast passes, only instead of skipping the line for The Haunted Mansion, you’re skipping the line to commit murder.

The catch is that, in order to accrue this currency in the first place, you must complete several matches as a civilian; thereby guaranteeing that there’s a reasonable rotation of people taking on both roles at any given time. It’s a savvy concept that should hopefully prevent unsportsmanlike conduct from occurring (after all, it would always suck when cry-babies left the lobby in F13 as soon as they realized they weren’t gonna be Jason).

Honestly, we don’t predict that’ll be too much of an issue here, given that survivor gameplay is exhilarating in its own right. In our short time with the game, we’ve had many unbearably narrow escapes, nail-biting stealth situations, and desperate, scrappy showdowns after becoming the effective final girl of the match.

Yet the encounters that linger in our mind most are the quieter ones. There’s nothing comparable in Dead by Daylight or The Texas Chain Saw Massacre to the eerie sensation you get here when you’re quivering under a streetlamp, tormented by the knowledge that Michael is hiding somewhere nearby and watching you. There’s utter silence, save for the sound of raspy, muffled breathing that you can’t quite pinpoint. It’s enough to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

In emergent moments like these, Halloween: The Game conjures a subtle creepiness that you don’t get from the more chaotic asymmetrical horror releases on the market. It’s befitting of the source material.

Buggy Tricks Among the Treats

When firing on all cylinders, then, Halloween: The Game is an addictive blast and one of the most promising Dead by Daylight rivals we’ve had in quite some time. Alas, attentive readers may have noticed a rather big qualifier in that last sentence that is doing a lot of heavy lifting.

You see, Halloween is rarely “firing on all cylinders”. If we were to be uncharitable, we’d query if half its cylinders have even been installed yet! Plagued by softlocks, hardlocks and all manner of infuriating bugs that can unduly influence the outcome of matches, it’s an experience that invites unfavourable comparisons to the turbulent launch of Friday the 13th: The Game.

Rarely can the whole lobby get through a game without hitting some kind of snag. Visual blips like teenage characters who appear to have been stricken with premature baldness, residents gliding vampirically around as they perform domestic chores, and items hovering several feet in front of their respective users are forgivable while the title is still in its infancy. However, that same grace period won’t apply to the other malfunctions that impact play here in more direct and tangible ways.

Survivors getting stuck in looping animations is a rather common occurrence for a start. Almost as common as them getting caught in walls and beneath the map itself! They similarly have a bizarre tendency to start channeling Gabriel from Malignant and will insist on running backwards in a way that leaves them unable to interact with any objects that aren’t accessible from a 360-degree plane. Worse still, we’ve had instances where we haven’t been able to move at all (either in the conventional or reverse directions) and resorted to feebly propelling ourselves forward using the shove attack.

If it sounds like these glitches will give the Michael player the upper hand, rest assured that they don’t emerge unscathed either. One time we successfully opened every escape route and rescued all NPCs as a civilian (feeling pretty good about ourselves) only to discover that said flawless victory was achieved by our opponent having spawned in without any of their basic abilities working.

It cannot be overstated how regular these occurrences are. Bots become totally unresponsive, perk cards don’t activate when they’re supposed to, and gun wielders will suddenly become conscientious objectors and refuse to fire at the kill-crazed psychopath barrelling right towards them. Perhaps the idea is that they’re supposed to be paralyzed with fear, but somehow we doubt that’s the intention.

The jankiness even spreads to the game’s single player mode, where characters often don’t follow through on their scripted behaviors, rendering it impossible for you to complete all the optional challenges. In what felt like a philosophical question worthy of Plutarch, we found ourselves wondering aloud: “How can one kill Annie Brackett in the car if she never gets into the cockadoodie car to begin with?”

Admittedly, the developers have supplied a long list of fixes set to be implemented in a day-one patch that wasn’t available to us reviewers. But unless that download file is going to be the equivalent size of Microsoft Flight Simulator, it’s not going to have Halloween: The Game in anything close to resembling a finished state.

Final Verdict: Incredible Potential In Need of Polish

That gets to the heart of the problem: this is just not a product that’s ready to ship. Were it in a more reliable condition, we’d be complaining about balancing niggles that could do with tweaking and the fact that you can’t customize your loadout while waiting for lobbies to populate. Yet those feel like such small-fry issues when viewed in light of the essential maintenance this fundamentally needs in order to become a working game.

Releasing in early September, the title is pre-empting its namesake holiday by well over a month, and you have to wonder if maybe that launch could have been delayed a tad. Granted, a few more weeks of QA testing wouldn’t be enough to catch and address every technical hiccup, but it’d make some difference.

Teething issues can be excused with online titles like this. Yet, to put it bluntly, if Halloween doesn’t get its act together soon, we fear it could end up going the same way as many forgotten asymmetrical releases that have been abandoned in the past.

That would be a crying shame, because this one has real potential. When we could get a stable match running, it’s some of the most fun we’ve had all year, and we genuinely believe that it has the makings of a hit. The ideas are strong, it understands its source material, and it’s perfectly calibrated to generate those memorable watercooler moments that will have you geeking out with friends.

However, we can’t in good conscience overlook serious issues that are dampening our enthusiasm for it right now. Let’s hope they can sort it all out in time for October, because we’re rooting for this to be the definitive game of the Fall. 

Review code provided by publisher. Halloween: The Game releases digitally on September 8 for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store. A physical version will launch for the PS5 and Xbox Series next month on October 6.

The post ‘Halloween: The Game’ Review – Stealth, Stalking, and Michael Myers Shine In An Uneven Horror Experience appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Similar to the game’s currency system, players earn experience points by completing matches or progressing in the story mode. This experience will apply to one of four level categories: profile, killer, civilian, and weapon. Profile level encompasses all gained XP. Killer level is centered around playing as Michael, much like civilian level is tied to playing as civilians. Lastly, weapon level is tied to players using specific equipable weapons to dispatch their victims.

Increasing your progression levels will unlock new playable civilians, additional abilities for Michael, starting items, cosmetics, new challenge tiers, new executions, and more.

Along with the progression system, there are passive and progressive challenges for those who play as Michael, or as one of the civilians. Passive challenges encompass killer and civilian, while progressive challenges are directly tied to which character you select. Completing challenges will unlock further cosmetics and alternate skins.

Halloween: The Game launches digitally on September 8 for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store. A physical version will launch for the PS5 and Xbox Series next month on October 6.

The post ‘Halloween: The Game’ Details Progression, Unlocks, and Michael Myers Customization Ahead of Launch [Video] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Compared to neighborhoods like Orange Grove Estates and Haddonfield Town Center, East Haddonfield is a rustic change of scenery. Described as a rural agricultural hub, East Haddonfield serves as the headquarters for Midwest Feed Company, and is home to other notable landmarks, such as The Rabbit in Red Lounge and Phelps Garage.

Following his escape from Smith’s Grove Sanitarium, Michael begins his journey home in East Haddonfield. Some residents and commuters avoid making pit stops here, as East Haddonfield attracts unsavory individuals like the biker gang, the Castle Hill Rooks. The Rabbit in Red Lounge offers the gang a rowdy, leather-clad biker bar that’s seen its fair share of broken beer bottles and bareknuckle brawls, while Phelps Garage offers excellent automotive services and the best gas prices around, not that you have many options out there.

Halloween: The Game launches digitally on September 8 for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store. A physical version will launch for the PS5 and Xbox Series next month on October 6.

The post Get a Glimpse of East Haddonfield in New Map Reveal Trailer for ‘Halloween: The Game’ [Watch] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

IllFonic relayed the news to fans via X, stating that while the game will release digitally as scheduled next week for the Xbox Series, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store in Japan, the PlayStation release has been cancelled “due to our inability to obtain a domestic rating from CERO (Computer Entertainment Rating Organization) for the title’s visceral violence and nudity.”

IllFonic stated that in order for the Halloween PS5 version to be released in Japan in compliance with CERO, they would need to “significantly compromise the worldview of the original film, and would also prevent us from providing the gameplay experience that players expect.”

Those Japanese fans who pre-ordered the PS5 version will be eligible for refunds, though they’ll need to go through the PlayStation Store. It’s not clear as to why the PC and Xbox versions are allowed to release.

Halloween: The Game will launch digitally on September 8 (September 9 in Japan). The physical release will launch on October 6.

The post ‘Halloween: The Game’ Denied CERO Rating, Will Not Launch on PlayStation in Japan appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Halloween: The Game uses a role-based matchmaking system, which allows players to queue as either killer (aka Michael) or civilian. Ahead of matchmaking, players will choose their desired role, and enter a dedicated queues. If your role doesn’t matter, to you,  you can also choose “no preference” when entering the queue.

The game will also make use of an in-game currency referred to as Killer Tokens that allows players to advance in the queues to play as Myers. These can be earned by playing and completing matches. The tokens can then be spent to enter a priority matchmaking pool that reduces your wait time.

For those who prefer to match up with friends, you can also host private matches, where the roles can be specified or randomized amongst friends.

In addition, remember the “surprises” that the team were teasing if you ordered the Digital Deluxe Edition or the Limited Collector’s Edition of Halloween: The Game? Well, one of them is the ability to unlock Advance Access to the ‘Final Girl’ Laurie Strode cosmetic!

Halloween: The Game will launch digitally on September 8 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store. Physical releases will launch on October 6.

The post New Video Delves Into ‘Halloween: The Game’ Matchmaking [Watch] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Here’s the lineup…

• Halloween (1978) — September 4
• Halloween II (1981) — September 5
• Halloween III: Season of the Witch — September 6

In the original classic, Michael Myers has spent the last 15 years locked away inside a sanitarium under the care of child psychiatrist Dr. Sam Loomis after brutally killing his sister, Judith. On the night of October 30, 1978, Myers escapes and makes his way back to Haddonfield — the night HE came home — turning a night of tricks and treats into something much more sinister for three young women, including Laurie Strode, the star-making role for Jamie Lee Curtis.

And then in Halloween II, while Dr. Loomis hunts for Michael Myers, a traumatized Laurie is rushed to Haddonfield Memorial Hospital, and The Shape is not far behind her.

Finally in Halloween III, kids all over America want Silver Shamrock masks for Halloween. Doctor Daniel Challis seeks to uncover a plot by Silver Shamrock owner Conal Cochran.

While it’s not uncommon for Halloween to play in theaters during spooky season, it’s not very often you get to experience Halloween III on the big screen. Don’t miss this opportunity!

The post Original ‘Halloween’ Trilogy Returning to Theaters This September! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

While you wait, Halloween: The Game is taking a new shape with a comic book series.

Daily Dead has exclusively announced the upcoming comic book series this afternoon, with Halloween: The Game Comic headed our way from Illfonic and PANICK Entertainment.

The comic book “takes readers back to the terrifying events surrounding Halloween 1978, offering a new story featuring Michael Myers at his most relentless.”

Here’s the official synopsis: “On the night before Halloween 1978, Michael Myers orchestrates a brutal escape from Smith’s Grove Sanitarium, leaving a trail of bodies in his wake. As Dr. Loomis realizes pure evil is loose, Michael begins his relentless journey home toward Haddonfield, slaughtering anyone unfortunate enough to cross his path.”

“The new comic series expands upon the world and characters of the new Halloween video game while delivering a standalone horror story inspired by the mythology and atmosphere that made the original 1978 film a landmark of the genre.”

Halloween: The Game Comic is written by Hans Rodionoff and Adam F. Goldberg, featuring art by Eamon Winkle, Robert Nelson, Ivan Dedov and Sean O’Toole.

The team previews, “This is classic Michael Myers unleashed, and we think fans are going to love getting a glimpse of some truly spine-tingling moments that were not seen in Carpenter’s original film.”

Halloween: The Game Comic #1 will release November 4, 2026.

The first issue of the comic book series will also be included digitally with the Digital Deluxe Edition and physically with the Limited Collector’s Editions of Halloween: The Game.

Learn more over on Daily Dead now.

The post ‘Halloween: The Game’ Gets an Official Michael Myers Comic Book Series appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Now, IllFonic has released a statement regarding New Zealand, stating that Halloween: The Game will be available digitally for New Zealand, but not physically.

“When we partnered with physical distributors (as we do not handle) to sell packaged goods in Australia and New Zealand, we learned that the ACB rating (used for physical) took precedence over the [International Age Rating Coalition] rating (used for digital). When ACB refused us a rating, it meant the removal of both physical and digital versions in those territories.”

In fact, when IllFonic had announced the rating refusal, IGN decided to do some detective work on the matter, revealing that IllFonic had used the automated, free-to-use online rating tool maintained by the IARC to secure an R18+ rating for the game’s pre-order content, which would be published automatically on Australia’s National Classification Database.

However, the IARC tool can only be used to classify games that are exclusively digitally distributed in Australia. If the game was going to be released physically in Australia, it would need to be submitted to the Classification Board for human rating, not the IARC tool.

Nevertheless, as many readers have pointed out, those Aussies and Kiwis looking to get a physical copy of the game can simply go the import route.

The post ‘Halloween: The Game’ Cleared for Release in New Zealand appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Over on X, the official account for the game was doing some promoting of the game ahead of its September 8 release, to which one Australian fan responded, stating that they were unable to pre-order the game on PlayStation 5.

The social media team responded with the unfortunate news, stating that despite the developer’s best efforts, Halloween: The Game was denied a rating. The reason behind the refusal was not for Michael Myers carving people up, but rather for the presence of a controlled substance.

Sadly, this means that IllFonic can’t sell the game physically or digitally in both Australia and New Zealand.

Australians are unfortunately no stranger to this sort of “thinking” by the Classification Board, as titles like We Happy Few have been denied a rating because of their use of drugs. Fortunately for We Happy Few, the refusal was later overturned, but sadly, that doesn’t appear to be the case for Halloween: The Game. The fact that smoking weed in the game gives players the advantage of knowing where Michael is on the map probably didn’t help matters.

It probably also doesn’t help that you can drink in the game, too. But that adds a detriment to your movement, which would evens things out, don’t you think?

Halloween: The Game will launch digitally on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store. The game will also launch physically on October 6 in two editions.

The post ‘Halloween: The Game’ Denied Rating in Australia appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

This week, Michael Roffman and McKenzie Gerber hit up Elm Street, Haddonfield, and Crystal Lake before braving the high seas to discuss the horrors within Christopher Nolan‘s The Odyssey. They also review this year’s Exit 8 and Forbidden Fruits before dusting off old classics for the first time in 2020’s Caveat and 1985’s The Mean Season.

Stream the episode below. Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, and RSS. New to the Halloweenies? Catch up with the gang by revisiting their essential episodes on past franchises such as Halloween, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Scream, The Evil Dead, Chucky, Alien, and the Universal Monsters.This year? Hellraiser!

You can also become a member of their Patreon, The Rewind, for hilariously irreverent commentaries (e.g. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Re-Animator, Darkman), one-off deep dives on your favorite rentals (e.g. Killer Klowns from Outer Space, Manhunter, ), and even spinoffs like their recent run Fortune & Glory: An Indiana Jones Podcast.

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Patreon | Store

The post Freddy’s Back, So Is Jason, ‘Hellraiser’ Goes to Horror Nights, and ‘The Odyssey’ [Halloweenies Podcast] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Meanwhile, the digital version is sticking with the September 8 release date.

Teaming up with Nighthawk Interactive, there will be two editions for the physical edition: the Standard Edition will be available for MSRP $39.99, while the Limited Collector’s Edition will be available for MSRP $149.99.

The Standard Edition of Halloween: The Game will include a copy of the game for PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X, an exclusive poster, and advance access to the Michael Myers Clown skin and two civilian cosmetics.

Meanwhile, the Limited Collector’s Edition will include a copy of the game, plus an exclusive Trick or Treat Studios Shape Jump variant action figure, exclusive lenticular art, an exclusive poster, advance access to the Michael Myers Samhain and Clown skins, advance access to the two civilian cosmetics from the Standard edition and two additional civilian cosmetics, and more surprises to be revealed at a later date.

As for the Orange Grove Estates, this is an upscale neighborhood in one of Haddonfield’s affluent corners. Multi-story houses surround a playground and basketball court, and expansive yards turn every fence and hedge into a fresh hiding (or hunting) ground. The map’s open layout reshapes how players move between structures, opening up new opportunities for collaboration while widening the lines of sight that can give a hero (or The Shape) away. The larger, multi-story homes also introduce precarious upper-floor encounters that every player will need to account for.

“Every neighborhood in Halloween: The Game is designed to change how you play, and Orange Grove Estates is our most ambitious map yet,” said Jared Gerritzen, Chief Creative Officer, IllFonic. “The open layout and multi-story homes force players to rethink their every action as it could compromise their line of sight, collaboration, and escape, whether they are playing as a Civilian or Myers.  Players will learn to dip, dodge, and scan surroundings for options to find an escape route. Pairing this map’s reveal with our physical editions felt like the perfect way to celebrate the physical pre-order launch.”

In addition to the physical editions, Halloween: The Game will launch digitally on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store.

The post IllFonic Reveals New Map, Physical Preorders for ‘Halloween: The Game’ [Trailer] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

From John Carpenter’s original classic, Laurie Strode, Lynda van der Klok, Annie Brackett & Bob Simms will be playable characters in Halloween: The Game! The characters will appear in the single-player mode and also be featured as playable characters in the multiplayer mode.

The Standard Edition of Halloween: The Game will feature 10 playable Civilians at launch: Jennifer, Tanya, Rachel, Eric, Marcus, Thomas, Bob, Lynda, Annie, and Laurie.

Helping to bring the performances of Bob, Lynda, Annie, and Laurie to life in Halloween: The Game is a roster of outstanding vocal talent. The brawny boyfriend Bob Simms will be voiced by Nicholas Leung. The ever-confident Lynda van der Klok will be voiced by Angela Carbone. The rebellious and funny Annie Brackett will be voiced by Kaitlyn Robrock. And the quintessential ‘final’ girl, Laurie Strode, will be voiced by Chelsea Krause.

The team previews, “Presenting fresh reinterpretations of established and beloved characters is a rare honor our team carefully respected. In close collaboration with Malek Akkad and Compass International Pictures, we developed reimagined designs of these iconic characters, inspired by the original film, for our asymmetrical horror sandbox.”

“Much like the other Heroes of Haddonfield, these legacy characters come equipped with a default multiplayer outfit,” the developers tease. “However, completing various challenges in the single-player story mode will unlock alternate costumes and cosmetic items, including some iconic looks fans of the original film will greatly appreciate.”

“We aren’t just adapting a widely adored movie; we’re building an entire world around it,” states Art Director Cole Gray. “To do justice to this classic, everything and everyone within it had to feel like they belonged together. Reimagining these characters from the ground up allowed us to seamlessly weave them into a fresh, cohesive landscape that respects the era while presenting new ideas and honoring the film’s roots.”

Halloween: The Game releases September 8. Pre-order your copy today!

The upcoming game will invite Halloween fans to step into the chilling world of John Carpenter’s genre-defining film, now transformed into a suspenseful one-versus-many stealth horror experience. Put on the iconic mask to become the ultimate slasher, Michael Myers, stalking and executing the citizens of Haddonfield one by one, or striving to thwart Michael Myers’ plans as Civilians determined to save the unaware townsfolk before it’s too late.

Halloween: The Game will unleash Michael Myers onto Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store. Here’s everything you need to know.

The post ‘Halloween: The Game’ Will Feature Laurie Strode and More Movie Icons as Playable Characters! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

“Halloween: The Game is one of the most iconic horror films ever made, and we knew that bringing it into a game meant earning the right to put players behind that mask,” said Jared Gerritzen, IllFonic Chief Creative Officer. “We recreated specific shots, leaned into the original score’s DNA, and worked to make Haddonfield feel like the place fans remember. Now, it’s up to each player to create their own version of Michael: patient, brutal, methodical, or something else entirely.”

Live out the chilling story surrounding Michael Myers’ escape from Smith’s Grove Sanitarium and the terrifying events that followed. Embody pure evil as the true Boogeyman and commit the horrors leading to Halloween Night in 1978. Cinematic story cutscenes introduce chapters, characters, and story beats with iconic Halloween: The Game aesthetics and shot recreations, building a Haddonfield inspired by the original film. Yet the game goes beyond paying homage to the seminal movie, taking it in creative new directions to inject surprises and build upon Michael Myers’ monstrous, mythical intrigue.

Become the Shape across six haunting chapters, slashing through new and familiar locations while Dr. Sam Loomis narrates his findings and experiences. Uncover how Myers acquired his iconic jumpsuit, mask, and kitchen knife, and orchestrated the deaths of every unsuspecting victim leading up to the final babysitter encounter. The single-player storymode weaves a mix of the original 1978 film while introducing space for player creativity: play and end Michael Myers’ bloody tale while making it personal.

Halloween: The Game’s sandbox approach continues in the game’s story mode, providing a multitude of ways to find, stalk, and kill victims. The perfect Michael Myers carefully stalks his targets, waiting for the right moment to execute kills for true murderous satisfaction. Yet he can’t always play with his prey: sometimes keeping the cops at bay necessitates a victim’s quick death.

Each chapter contains a distinct set of secondary challenges and collectibles that reveal new executions, scenarios, and lore, unlocking exclusive cosmetics for Multiplayer mode. Several difficulty options test and reward players who want to understand what it takes to be a truly ruthless Michael Myers.

Halloween: The Game digital pre-orders start today. The Standard Edition is priced at $39.99 and the Deluxe Edition at $59.99.  The latter includes the game, an Exclusive Michael Myers Skin, two Exclusive Civilians and more!

Halloween: The Game will launch on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store on September 8.

The post Michael Myers Stalks The Shadows in New Single Player-Focused Trailer for ‘Halloween: The Game’ [Watch] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

“Nothing quite says “Small Town America” like a leisurely stroll through a quaint Midwestern downtown,” reads the official description. “We are excited to welcome players to Haddonfield Town Center, our second official map reveal for Halloween: The Game, and Haddonfield’s bustling cultural hotspot.”

The description makes note of a couple of locations, from the local hardware store and pub, to the town post office and cemetery.

“Given the enduring love for the Halloween franchise, constructing the expanded landscapes of Haddonfield has been both a profound honor and thrilling opportunity,” says Art Director Cole Gray. The team used the original film locations to serve as as their primary reference point, using “brief glimpses” of those landmarks, fleshing them out into a cohesive, atmospheric Midwest town.

“What excites me most about these playspaces is the depth of immersion they provide. We aren’t just building a static map; we’re creating a stage for high-stakes roleplay where players become the leads in their very own horror movies, Giving fans the freedom to inhabit this world within the direct context of the film’s narrative offers a level of cinematic agency that I believe fundamentally elevates our efforts with Halloween: The Game.”

Halloween: The Game comes home to the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store on September 8th.

The post “Haddonfield Town Center” Revealed as New Map for ‘Halloween: The Game’ [Trailer] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

We learned last week that you’ll be able to get high like Laurie and Annie did in John Carpenter’s original slasher classic, and now we’ve learned that you can drink beer too!

Illfonic gave horror fans their first opportunity to play Halloween: The Game at Pax East over the weekend, and Slash ‘N Cast brings us the first word about this boozy feature.

Slash ‘N Cast explains how it works: “Drinking beer in Halloween lowers your fear in-game, but it distorts your screen temporarily, making it difficult to move around.”

But you’ll probably want to stay sharp while you’re trying to survive your harrowing night in Haddonfield. Michael Myers will be on top of his game. And you’ll need to be too…

The developers preview, “While Michael swiftly endeavors to turn Haddonfield into a graveyard, our heroic group of Civilian characters desperately attempts to save their neighbors and escape the Boogeyman’s bloodthirst. As a Civilian, it’s up to you to find fellow Haddonfield residents, convince them of his malicious intent, and guide them safely to one of several possible randomized escapes located around the map before they meet an untimely end.”

“To ensure no two matches of Halloween play out the same, our team has constructed a vast playground of possibilities in Haddonfield, offering Civilians a multitude of diverse gameplay systems to aid them in achieving their objectives and surviving the night,” they continue. “As Civilians navigate these environments, they will uncover points of interest revealing resident NPCs, lootable containers, hiding places, telephones, possible escape routes, and more.

“Thoroughly and cautiously exploring your surroundings could very well mean the difference between life and death.”

Halloween: The Game will be released on September 8, 2026.

The upcoming game will invite Halloween fans to step into the chilling world of John Carpenter’s genre-defining film, now transformed into a suspenseful one-versus-many stealth horror experience. Put on the iconic mask to become the ultimate slasher, Michael Myers, stalking and executing the citizens of Haddonfield one by one, or striving to thwart Michael Myers’ plans as Civilians determined to save the unaware townsfolk before it’s too late.

Halloween: The Game will unleash Michael Myers onto Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store. Here’s everything you need to know.

Drinking beer in HALLOWEEN lowers your fear in-game, but it distorts your screen temporarily, making it difficult to move around. pic.twitter.com/j8q9rGBDGL

— Slash ‘N Cast (@SlashNCast) March 29, 2026

The post You Can Get Drunk in ‘Halloween: The Game’ – But It Might Get You Killed appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

That gathering took place on Saturday, March 28, 2026 at 3:30pm ET at the Thomas M. Menino Convention & Exhibition Center in Boston, Massachusetts, and the team noted that they needed at least 250 fans to show up in Michael Myers cosplay in order to slash through the record. We can now report that the Guinness World Record has been set!

Illfonic, Gun Interactive, and Compass Entertainment were officially handed the Guinness World Record for the Largest Gathering of People Dressed as Michael Myers yesterday, and the team has celebrated with a series of Instagram posts that document the record-breaking assembly of 254 horror fans dressed up as Michael Myers and packed into a single location.

The game’s official Instagram account announced, “We did it! YOU did it! Thank you to everyone who helped make history today by showing up to set the Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of people dressed as Michael Myers! Thank you to Illfonic, Gun, Further Front, and all the fans who helped make today one that the world will always remember.”

“This is one for the horror history books,” they note. Indeed it is!

You can follow the journey through the series of Instagram posts below.

Halloween: The Video Game will launch for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store just in time for Halloween this year on September 8, 2026.

 

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The post Michael Myers Gathering for ‘Halloween: The Game’ Just Set a Guinness World Record! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The best part? You will be able to play as Dr. Loomis in Halloween: The Game!

But there’s a catch. You have to die first…

The developers preview, “So what happens in the likely event that a Civilian becomes another display of Michael’s wretched, inhumane nature? Well, their Haddonfield story isn’t over just yet. Even in death, they can support their friends and even return as a Sheriff’s Deputy or the unrelenting Dr. Loomis.”

“Once they’ve reemerged upon the streets of Haddonfield, they can cooperate with the remaining Civilians and responding officers to try and put a stop to Michael’s murderous rampage,” the team continues. “While he can’t be killed, with enough community resistance, the proper equipment, and sheer manpower, he can be detained and shipped back to Smith’s Grove Sanitarium.”

Check out some Dr. Loomis gameplay images and clips down below.

Halloween: The Game will be released on September 8, 2026. The video game will feature online multiplayer, offline bots, and yes, even a single-player story mode!

The upcoming game will invite Halloween fans to step into the chilling world of John Carpenter’s genre-defining film, now transformed into a suspenseful one-versus-many stealth horror experience. Put on the iconic mask to become the ultimate slasher, Michael Myers, stalking and executing the citizens of Haddonfield one by one, or striving to thwart Michael Myers’ plans as Civilians determined to save the unaware townsfolk before it’s too late.

Sorry, Dr. Loomis…

Six shots won’t be enough to stop evil itself. pic.twitter.com/scnLCdgQKk

— Halloween (@HalloweenTVG) March 27, 2026

The post ‘Halloween: The Game’ – Here’s How You Get to Play as Dr. Loomis appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

It’s only fitting that in the upcoming video game based on John Carpenter’s Halloween, you too can toke up. And rather than signaling an instant death, it might actually help you survive!

Illfonic gave horror fans their first opportunity to play the upcoming Halloween: The Game at Pax East this week, and Slash ‘N Cast was on hand at the event. According to the horror content creator, your playable civilian character can take a break from running for their life and arming themselves for battle with Michael Myers by lighting up a joint and getting high!

Slash ‘N Cast notes, “Smoking weed in Halloween allows you to see Michael’s pings across the map and can give you an advantage.” They add, “it’s a fun gameplay mechanic.”

What else can you do as a civilian? The developers preview, “As a Civilian, it’s up to you to find fellow Haddonfield residents, convince them of Michael’s malicious intent, and guide them safely to one of several possible randomized escapes located around the map before they meet an untimely end. This distinctive cast of playable Civilian characters each comes equipped with unique stats, special traits, and signature personalities.”

“To ensure no two matches of Halloween play out the same, our team has constructed a vast playground of possibilities in Haddonfield, offering Civilians a multitude of diverse gameplay systems to aid them in achieving their objectives and surviving the night,” they continue. “As Civilians navigate these environments, they will uncover points of interest revealing resident NPCs, lootable containers, hiding places, telephones, possible escape routes, and more.”

Halloween: The Game will be released on September 8, 2026.

The upcoming game will invite Halloween fans to step into the chilling world of John Carpenter’s genre-defining film, now transformed into a suspenseful one-versus-many stealth horror experience. Put on the iconic mask to become the ultimate slasher, Michael Myers, stalking and executing the citizens of Haddonfield one by one, or striving to thwart Michael Myers’ plans as Civilians determined to save the unaware townsfolk before it’s too late.

Halloween: The Game will unleash Michael Myers onto Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store. Here’s everything you need to know.

You can smoke weed in HALLOWEEN… pic.twitter.com/flppnL4t5L

— Slash ‘N Cast (@SlashNCast) March 27, 2026

Smoking weed in Halloween allows you to see Michael’s pings across the map and can give you an advantage.

Idk if that makes it “special” per se, but it’s a fun gameplay mechanic.

— Slash ‘N Cast (@SlashNCast) March 27, 2026

The post You Can Smoke Weed in ‘Halloween: The Game’ – And It Actually Serves a Purpose! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

From Illfonic and Gun Interactive, Halloween: The Game is an official video game based on John Carpenter’s original horror classic, and the game will feature online multiplayer, offline bots, and a single-player story mode. A new video from the team this morning dives deep into the multiplayer gameplay, giving us our best look at the upcoming video game to date.

They tease, “Multiplayer in Halloween is a 1v4 asymmetrical horror experience that pits the residents of Haddonfield against the shape of pure evil, Michael Myers. In this quintessential Slasher Simulator, our playable cast of Civilian characters desperately attempt to save their neighbors and themselves from the omnipresent Boogeyman, while Michael fixates on stalking and slaying his targets. Halloween provides familiar elements fans of the genre know and love, but we’re incredibly excited to pull back the curtain and unveil more details that demonstrate our commitment to delivering our most robust, dynamic, and terrifying multiplayer offering.”

“Halloween is a legendary film with a genre-defining legacy and our mission has been to bring the film’s unsettling sense of dread to our asymmetrical horror sandbox,” Illfonic continues in an official statement this week. “By empowering players to control the tension and stage the scares, we’re building a multiplayer experience designed with replayability at the forefront. We’ll have more details to share regarding character progression, character traits, customization, proximity chat, and more thrilling gameplay features in the coming months, but we can’t wait for all of you to join us when Halloween launches on September 8, 2026.”

Watch the multiplayer overview video below for a sneak peek at the Michael Myers gameplay as well as Civilian Survivor gameplay – and yes, you can even play as Dr. Loomis!

Halloween: The Game will invite players to step into the chilling world of John Carpenter’s genre-defining film, now transformed into a suspenseful one-versus-many stealth horror experience. Put on the iconic mask to become the ultimate slasher, Michael Myers, stalking and executing the citizens of Haddonfield one by one, or striving to thwart Michael Myers’ plans as Civilians determined to save the unaware townsfolk before it’s too late.

Halloween: The Game will unleash Michael Myers onto Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store in 2026. Here’s everything you need to know.

The post ‘Halloween’ Video Game Multiplayer Gameplay Revealed in New Deep Dive Video appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Are you ready to make horror history? To help etch the name Michael Myers into the book of Guinness World Records? On March 28, the Halloween: Video Game team will be attempting to set a new world record for the “Largest Gathering of People Dressed as Michael Myers“!

The gathering is taking place on Saturday, March 28, 2026 at 3:30pm ET at the Thomas M. Menino Convention & Exhibition Center in Boston, Massachusetts, and the hope is to bring as many Halloween fans – dressed up as Michael Myers – together into such a massive Horde of Shapes that a literal Guinness World Record is set.

“We’ve seen a lot of incredible Michael Myers cosplay over the years and we’d love to experience Boston overrun with hordes of Boogeymen to slash this record!” the team says.

“Whether you’re local to the area, flying in for PAX East, or just want to share in this special moment, we’re calling on you to show up dressed in your best Michael Myers costumes.

“First, we need at least 250 people fully dressed as Michael Myers to claim this record as our own. Ideally, we want to set this bar much higher, but this is our minimum threshold.”

The official requirements for all participants? We’ve got them. Here they are…

• A white mask with eye holes – Something that captures the essence of The Boogeyman.
• Blue coveralls.
• Brown, slicked back hair – This can be a hair built in to a mask, a separate wig, or natural hair that is styled accordingly.
• And a prop knife – Emphasis on PROP here. No real knives.

“You need to be instantly recognizable as Michael Myers and following these guidelines will ensure participants aren’t disqualified and we secure our title on behalf of IllFonic, Compass International Pictures, Gun Interactive, and the amazing Halloween fans around the world,” they explain. “If you forget your coveralls, we’ll also have additional Michael Myers costumes standing by for anyone in the Boston area interested in taking part in the attempt.”

IllFonic, Gun Interactive, and partners Compass International Pictures and Further Front will be in Boston for PAX East on March 28 with the first playable demo for Halloween: The Game.

The PAX East demo will feature the previously-revealed Haddonfield Heights map, a deceptively quiet Midwestern neighborhood filled with modest single-story homes, fenced yards, dimly lit streets, and the abandoned Myers house. Civilians must scavenge car trunks, search for escape routes, barricade themselves inside homes, and slip into risky hiding spots, all while Michael stalks from the darkness in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse.

On March 28, at 12:00 pm, at PAX East’s Main Theater, IllFonic will host a panel exploring how developers and original creators collaborate to build authentic interactive worlds.

They will be joined virtually by John Carpenter! The panel will also offer fans a behind-the-scenes look at how the game honors its cinematic roots while evolving into a new medium.

The post ‘Halloween: The Game’ Attempts World Record for Largest Gathering of Michael Myers Cosplayers appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

In addition, there will also be a group panel featuring Malek Akkad, who will be joined virtually by John Carpenter before attempting the Guinness World Records title for the “Largest gathering of people dressed as Michael Myers.”

The PAX East demo will feature the previously-revealed Haddonfield Heights map, a deceptively quiet Midwestern neighborhood filled with modest single-story homes, fenced yards, dimly lit streets, and the abandoned Myers house. Civilians must scavenge car trunks, search for escape routes, barricade themselves inside homes, and slip into risky hiding spots, all while Michael stalks from the darkness in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse.

On Saturday, March 28, at 12:00 pm, at PAX East’s Main Theater, IllFonic will host a panel exploring how developers and original creators collaborate to build authentic interactive worlds. The discussion will feature Malek Akkad, President of Compass International Pictures, Inc.; Ryan Freimann, SVP of Compass International Pictures, Inc.; IllFonic’s Jared Gerritzen, Chief Creative Officer; and Design Director, Jordan Mathewson. They will be joined virtually by John Carpenter himself. The panel will also offer fans a behind-the-scenes look at how the game honors its cinematic roots while evolving into a new medium.

Later on the same day, at 3:30 pm, fans are invited to take part in an ambitious attempt for the Guinness World Records title for the “Largest gathering of people dressed as Michael Myers,” at the Thomas M. Menino Convention & Exhibition Center, the venue hosting PAX East. Participants must be dressed in Michael’s signature look: the Shape mask, blue jumpsuit, slicked-back brown hair or appropriate wig, and a prop knife.

Halloween: The Video Game will launch on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store on September 8, 2026. PAX East takes place in Boston from March 26-29.

The post ‘Halloween: The Game’ Heads to PAX East with First-Ever Playable Demo, Star-Studded Panel appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Stream the episode below. Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, and RSS. New to the Halloweenies? Catch up with the gang by revisiting their essential episodes on past franchises such as Halloween, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Scream, The Evil Dead, Chucky, Alien, and the Universal Monsters.This year? Hellraiser!

You can also become a member of their Patreon, The Rewind, for hilariously irreverent commentaries (e.g. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Re-Animator, Darkman), one-off deep dives on your favorite rentals (e.g. Killer Klowns from Outer Space, Manhunter, ), and even spinoffs like their recent run Fortune & Glory: An Indiana Jones Podcast.

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Patreon | Store

The post Coming Soon/Now Showing: On ‘Send Help’, ’28 Years Later: The Bone Temple’, and ‘Halloween: The Game’ [Halloweenies Podcast] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

“The Civilians of Haddonfield are one of the many elements Halloween will leverage to create an immersive horror sandbox,” reads the message from the developers. “We’re excited to begin offering players glimpses into the unique personalities and traits of our brand new cast of heroes in Halloween and look forward to sharing more about their involvement in the singleplayer and multiplayer components of the game.”

As detailed in previous updates, as a Civilian, you’ll be scavenging for supplies, guiding residents to safety, and locating a phone to call the police before the time runs out. As Myers, you’ll be prowling the shadows and make use of his special abilities, like Shape Jump, to traverse through the neighborhood unseen and strike without warning.

Halloween: The Game will launch on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store on September 8, 2026.

The post ‘Halloween: The Game’ Reveals The First Playable Civilians appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Featuring a cluster of charming homes, the game’s first map radiates small-town comfort by day, but becomes a maze of dread at night. As a Civilian, you’ll have plenty of front yards and winding side streets to explore, while also running for your life as Myers bears down on you.

“This neighborhood allowed us to reimage the tension of Haddonfield in a way that feels both intimate and terrifying,” explains Jordan Mathewson, Design Director at IllFonic. “We wanted players to feel the comfort of the neighborhood they recognize from the film right before we turn it into panic. Every hedge, hallway, and backyard was built to heighten suspense and reward clever play, whether you’re hunting or being hunted.”

In Halloween: The Game, players can take the role of either a desperate Civilian fighting to protect the townsfolk, or The Shape himself, Michael Myers. As a Civilian, you’ll be scavenging for supplies, guiding residents to safety, and locating a phone to call the police before the time runs out. As Myers, you’ll be prowling the shadows and make use of his special abilities, like Shape Jump, to traverse through the neighborhood unseen and strike without warning.

Halloween: The Game will launch on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store on September 8, 2026.

The post “Haddonfield Heights” Map Revealed For ‘Halloween: The Game’ [Trailer] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

While the multiplayer-driven fundamentals that IllFonic are known for are still critical components to the design philosophies of the studio, Halloween marks a turn into the realm of more traditional single player story content.

The story content focuses on Michael Myers after having escaped Smith’s Grove Sanitarium, allowing players to experience the Night He Came Home “from an entirely different perspective.” Things such as how did Michael manage to escape from the sanitarium, and what actually happened at Phelps Garage are explored through these series of defined singleplayer chapters.

In addition to reliving unforgettable film moments with familiar faces, the singleplayer story mode in Halloween will also feature new locations and scenes introducing our brand new cast of Haddonfield civilians, who serve as playable characters in the game’s multiplayer component.

IllFonic aims to deliver a “compelling and authentic” Halloween singleplayer experience that “matches the meticulous cadence of the original film while empowering players to help shape the narrative.” Going even further, the team aims to encourage replayability with the singleplayer mode’s sandbox-driven gameplay. That involves multiple difficulty levels, optional objectives, secret collectibles, and even multiple endings that are determined by the actions players take throughout their journey to Haddonfield.

Halloween: The Game will launch on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store on September 8, 2026.

The post New Singleplayer Details Revealed for ‘Halloween: The Game’ [Video] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The photo comes courtesy of Halloween: The Game‘s official website, which ran a piece this week that reveals that Castle is working alongside stuntman/actor TJ Storm to bring Michael Myers to life in the video game world. Castle and Storm are sharing the mo-cap duties.

Nick Castle tells the website, “It did make me go watch the movie again to see just what the hell I did that contributes to the success of the character.” TJ Storm adds, “The folks creating the game wanted the character to be as authentic as possible and I did my best to capture the original movements. It was fun to do and I had a great time with the team.”

Halloween: The Game will invite players to step into the chilling world of John Carpenter’s genre-defining film, now transformed into a suspenseful one-versus-many stealth horror experience. Put on the iconic mask to become the ultimate slasher, Michael Myers, stalking and executing the citizens of Haddonfield one by one, or striving to thwart Michael Myers’ plans as Civilians determined to save the unaware townsfolk before it’s too late.

The video game will feature online multiplayer, offline bots, and a single-player story mode!

Halloween: The Game will unleash Michael Myers onto Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store in 2026. Here’s everything you need to know.

The post ‘Halloween: The Game’ – New Look at Original Shape Nick Castle Doing Motion Capture for Michael Myers appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The news gets even more exciting as we head into the weekend, as the team announced that original Shape actor Nick Castle performed the motion capture for the game’s Michael Myers!

The official Halloween Portal account tweets, “Although it may be slightly different than the one he wore on film in 1978, Nick Castle put back on a suit to deliver the iconic walk, movements, and kills as only the OG Michael Myers could.

“In what is just one of the many ways Compass and Illfonic are striving to bring the utmost authenticity to this game, we wouldn’t dream of having anyone other than Nick bring this character to life in this new digital realm and we are thrilled he was eager to participate!”

Check out a behind the scenes shot of Castle performing the mo-cap below!

Halloween: The Game will invite players to step into the chilling world of John Carpenter’s genre-defining film, now transformed into a suspenseful one-versus-many stealth horror experience. Put on the iconic mask to become the ultimate slasher, Michael Myers, stalking and executing the citizens of Haddonfield one by one, or striving to thwart Michael Myers’ plans as Civilians determined to save the unaware townsfolk before it’s too late.

Halloween: The Game will unleash Michael Myers onto Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store in 2026. Here’s everything you need to know.

The post Original Shape Actor Nick Castle Is Back as Michael Myers in ‘Halloween: The Game’! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

What sets this horror franchise-based game apart from recent games including The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Killer Klowns from Outer Space? Unlike those games, Halloween: The Game will feature its very own single-player mode! But what exactly does that mean?

In addition to the online multiplayer version of the game, Halloween: The Game will also feature offline bots so that gamers can play matches solo, but what’s most important to note here is that the game will also feature a legit SINGLE-PLAYER STORY MODE, something that other asymmetric games in the horror IP space have been ignoring in recent years.

The official press release teased, “Whether playing solo in story mode, against bots offline, or facing others in online multiplayer, each mode rewards stealth, strategy, and skillful play.”

What else do we know about Halloween: The Game‘s single-player component(s)? We poked around the game’s official website to learn more, and Bloody Disgusting also exclusively spoke with the developers at Illfonic for a preview piece that has some more info.

The game’s official website details, for starters, “Heralded as one of the very best in the genre, John Carpenter’s Halloween stands above the rest when it comes to storytelling and tension. [Illfonic CCO] Jared Gerritzen knew that this project wouldn’t have been complete with just a fun multiplayer experience; there needed to be an immersive single-player component to fully bring a true horror experience to players.”

“When we looked at how can we take asymmetrical horror to the next level for this project we knew adding in a single-player mode would set us apart from other titles in the genre,” Gerritzen shares. “We believe that fun factor and gameplay comes above all and adding this in definitely adds to that formula.”

The website also notes, “the narrative for single-player in Halloween takes on a new shape. Playing as Michael Myers, walk through memorable locations from the 1978 classic such as the Myers House or bask in the recreated atmosphere of Haddonfield.”

The single-player story mode for Halloween: The Game places emphasis on “exploration and replayability,” with those two things “largely informing the design of story mode.” Additionally, “special items and collectibles” will be exclusive to the game’s story mode.

As Harrison Abbott notes in our exclusive interview with Illfonic, “Developed in collaboration with PollardStudio (who brought us Karma: The Dark World earlier this year), this mode will thrust you into the coveralls of The Shape and have you facing off against the townspeople of Haddonfield, the police and, of course, that pesky busybody Dr. Loomis.”

Illfonic’s Lead Designer Jordan Mathewson told BD, “It’s such a fun mode. You’ll get to have a very controlled Halloween experience that will hopefully drive even more people towards the multiplayer. We can’t wait to show it off in the near future.”

While many of these types of games inevitably seem to die off when large numbers of people stop playing them, the news of Halloween: The Game having a single-player story mode, as well as offline bots, becomes quite compelling. And it could very well be the thing that keeps us playing the game for many, many years to come. Stay tuned for more as we learn it.

Halloween: The Game will be released sometime in 2026.

The post ‘Halloween: The Game’ – Here’s What We Know About the Single-Player Story Mode appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

As IllFonic’s Jarred Gerritzen takes stock of his ‘pinch-me’ circumstances, we can’t help but think about just how many people must envy the developer’s situation. Because, unless they’ve got a pretty major gap in their viewing history, the director of The Thing and The Fog is all but guaranteed to have played a foundational role in any horror fan’s developing love affair with scary movies. Indeed, you’d be hard pressed to find someone — with even the vaguest bit of interest in this genre — who doesn’t have at least one Carpenter flick locked into their top 20.

Alas, for most of us, that’s where our relationship with the master filmmaker ends. No matter how much we might idolize him, we’ve come to terms with the depressing fact that we’ll never be able to rub shoulders with the genius behind They Live, and our incredulous adolescent selves would be quite right to doubt any claims to the contrary.

That’s not the case for Jarred, though, who (in this dubious time travel scenario) would be able to gloat to his 18-year-old self that he does indeed have a direct line to his childhood hero. And not only that, but he is collaborating with him on a brand-new adaptation of one of his most enduring works, in the form of Halloween: The Game.

As Chief Creative Officer for IllFonic, this isn’t the first time a cherished property has been entrusted in Jared’s care. Under his helmsmanship, the studio — known primarily for its asymmetrical multiplayer offerings — has been given the keys to practically all your favourite IPs. In Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, they gave us the chance to don those iconic exterminator jumpsuits and cross the streams to catch player-controlled spectres. With Friday the 13th: The Game, they had us roleplaying as either Jason Voorhees or one of the amorous camp counsellors at his mercy. With Predator: Hunting Grounds, they afforded us the perfect opportunity to yell “get to the chopper” at our teammates. And with last year’s Killer Klowns from Outer Space, they let us encase our friends in cotton candy cocoons and slowly digest their gelatinised remains. All good fun!

Reflecting on these dream assignments, Gerritzen admits: “It’s been a real privilege to get to work on these franchises that mean so much to us, and my wishlist is honestly getting a little thin at this point. From time to time, we do have to turn down IPs that don’t grab us for whatever reason but, for the most part, we’ve always had people on the team who are deeply enthusiastic about each and every licence that comes out way.”

That being said, he acknowledges that this new project is the real “crown jewel” for IllFonic. After all, Halloween is about as significant a legacy as you can get in the horror space, and if there was ever to be a Mount Rushmore for slasher villains then the remorseless Michael Myers would surely deserve pride of place atop that sculpture. Suffice it to say, they’re very excited about what they’re cooking up here.

In anticipation of the title’s announcement at Gamescom 2025, Gerritzen and his colleague Jordan Mathewson, Lead Designer at IllFonic, sat down with Bloody Disgusting for an exclusive interview about Halloween: The Game. Among other things, we spoke about all the different ways they’re planning to shake up the asymmetrical multiplayer formula here, their decision to finally take a proper stab at a solo campaign (pun not intended) and, of course, that much-touted Carpenter connection. Here’s everything we learned!

Death Has Come to Your Little Town

Before we launched into the discussion, we were given a sneak peek of the reveal trailer that has since made its public debut at Gamescom (watch below). As is typical for this kind of early-stage marketing, it doesn’t illuminate a great deal about the title and instead takes the form of a pre-rendered cinematic that only gives you a flavour of what to expect.

Opening with that famous Halloween synthesiser stinger— before then transitioning into Laurie Strode’s more lyrical piano theme — the short teaser introduces us to a quiet suburban street in the sleepy town of Haddonfield, Illinois. It’s 31st October 1978 and all the residents are getting ready for a night of spooky festivities, when suddenly a distressed woman bursts onto the scene, dashing from house to house, feverishly knocking on doors. and trying to alert anyone who will listen to an impending danger.

Given the poor girl’s emotional distress, these warnings aren’t particularly lucid and fall on deaf ears. Yet we’re able to discern what’s got her so rattled, thanks to some characteristically portentous voiceover supplied by none other than Dr. Samuel Loomis (portrayed here by a pretty reasonable Donald Pleasence impersonator).

Going into his usual, hysterical spiel about “The Boogeyman,” he doesn’t prove to be an especially empathetic or rational mental health professional. Instead, he rants (as he so often does) about his patient’s inhuman traits, his penchant for “senseless death,” and the pure malevolence that is etched into his very soul. All of which seems like it must go against some code of conduct or ethical standards for a shrink but, hey, what do I know? Maybe attitudes were just different in the ‘70s.

Anyway, the good doctor carries on raving about reckonings and unstoppable monsters (are we sure he’s not the one in need of psychiatric care?), while our female lead continues in vain to try and sound the alarm about Michael. Unfortunately, her pleas go ignored and the blissfully ignorant locals all stay indoors. A fatal error.

That’s when we hear a bloodcurdling scream from just off camera, followed by the unmistakable sounds of savage butchery. This commotion is soon displaced by Michael Myer’s telltale muffled breathing and then, right on cue, The Shape himself walks into frame. Evil has arrived. Just as was foretold.

Terror Evolves

It’s an appetite-whetting trailer for sure. Yet, as we said, it doesn’t really give you a whole lot to go on. All you can glean is that the game is set in 1978, that it’s got Michael Myers in it and that John Carpenter is attached in some capacity. Perhaps that ought to be enough for now, but we were greedy and so pressed Gerritzen and Mathewson for more details.

In response, the developers reasoned that the title is best understood as existing in two distinct halves, with the first component taking the form of that signature asymmetrical multiplayer that we’ve come to expect from IllFonic. Talking about this, Mathewson said: “If you refer back to what we’ve done in the past, there’s definitely a lot of the same DNA here in Halloween: The Game.”

Agreeing with his colleague, Gerritzen added: “IllFonic has been around for many, many decades. The majority of the team has been with us since Friday the 13th, and they all stuck around for Predator, Ghostbusters and Killer Klowns. So, we’ve [cultivated] a real knowledge base and expertise when it comes to making these types of games. Not to mention we’re familiar with the technology.”

While on the one hand, that track record should instill confidence that IllFonic are the right team for the job, it does also flag a potential cause for concern. That being the fact that a frankly staggering amount of these asymmetrical titles have been released since Friday the 13th debuted in 2017, and the premise could therefore be at risk of growing a little stale. Indeed, the genre has become rather crowded of late, with competitors like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Home Sweet Home: Online and Evil Dead: The Game all throwing their proverbial hats into the ring.

To his credit, the threat of market saturation is a problem that Gerritzen is keenly aware of. “Horror multiplayer has definitely gone through a lot of permutations in recent years,” he concedes. “If we take everyone else out of the equation for a moment and just talk about ourselves, then you’ve got F13, Predator, Ghostbusters and Killer Klowns to take into account. That makes Halloween the fifth iteration of this idea from us alone. So, we appreciate that there is a need to innovate.

“We don’t want to just make the same thing over and over again, retaining the same mechanics and only switching out locations or killers to tie into whatever IP we’re adapting. We want to meaningfully evolve. “My [vision] is that, if someone owns all of IllFonic’s games, then they’ll bounce between them based on their present mood. Because each of them should have a unique feel. One day you might be in the mood for the chaos of Killer Klowns, the next you might fancy something slower and more methodical, like Halloween.”

The (Game) Night He Came Home

Which led us nicely into discussing exactly what the fresh spin will be for Halloween: The Game.

Mathewson took over for this breakdown, elaborating: “We’ve tried to emphasize stealth on both sides of the killer/survivor dynamic. For Michael, it’s about stalking. His mechanics revolve around quietly observing in the shadows and biding your time to get the best possible kills. You see, there will be NPCs [inhabiting] the map, living their lives and going about their various October 31st traditions. Your job is to pick them off!

“Meanwhile, the other players will be sneaking around and trying to alert those civilians to your presence, just like in the teaser trailer we showed. Plus, we’ve got the cops and Dr. Loomis adding an extra wrinkle [to proceedings]. So, if the Michael player isn’t performing well, he’ll have to deal with extra resistance and there are a lot of interesting situations that can arise from that.”

Expanding upon this point, Gerritzen said: “Most other asymmetrical horror games are about escaping, but that’s not the ultimate objective for the survivor players here. Instead, you’re trying to stop Michael’s rampage and save the town. You can eventually end the match and spectate, but the goal is always more complicated than merely ‘run around, loot and escape.’ We think that makes it feel new and interesting.”

Beyond just these rule changes, Halloween: The Game also evolves upon IllFonic’s previous outings by introducing a big technical upgrade behind the scenes.

“Moving to Unreal Engine 5 has given us a huge visual boost,” Gerritzen enthuses. “You can see that most obviously with Michael’s mask, which was a huge priority for us. It’s such an important part of the franchise iconography and we had to get it perfect. There’s been so many iterations of that one prop over the years — across multiple different movies — but they’ve all degraded and so there was nothing available for us to laser scan.

“That meant we had to design it from scratch, and we ended up obsessing over every last microscopic detail. If we were making this four or five years ago, we would have had fewer polygons and less dynamic lighting at our disposal, but Unreal 5 was a real asset for us and the end product looks super impressive. I’m very proud of how the mask, and the rest of the game, is shaping up.”

Solo Gamers Are Entitled to A Good Scare As Well

Asymmetrical multiplayer is obviously IllFonic’s bread and butter, but the second half of the Halloween package is arguably even more intriguing, as it promises to be the studio’s most substantial solo offering to date.

In all fairness, the team has already dipped their toes into these waters — with Friday the 13th’s “virtual cabin,” and its Hitman-style challenges that were added post-launch — but they’ve never done anything quite this intensive before.

Not only will there be an offline substitute for multiplayer matches, giving you the opportunity to practice with AI bots, but there will also be a bona fide story campaign. Developed in collaboration with PollardStudio (who brought us Karma: The Dark World earlier this year), this mode will thrust you into the coveralls of The Shape and have you facing off against the townspeople of Haddonfield, the police and, of course, that pesky busybody Dr. Loomis.

IllFonic were cagey about revealing too much more at this juncture, but Mathewson is confident that the campaign will be a treat for fans of the film series. “It’s such a fun mode,” he exclaimed. “You’ll get to have a very controlled Halloween experience that will hopefully drive even more people towards the multiplayer. We can’t wait to show it off in the near future.”

Returning to the Source

Finally, we had to ask about that enticing Hollywood namedrop in the trailer. IllFonic tends to consult the original creators of any material they’re adapting. In the past, they’ve secured the input of the Chiodo brothers for Killer Klowns and enlisted Tom Savini to help devise the grisly kill animations for Friday the 13th. Still, this is John-freakin’-Carpenter we’re talking about: a legendary master of his craft and a gaming enthusiast to boot. Surely it must have been a little intimidating trying to earn his blessing?

“Actually, the cool thing was, we didn’t have to explain a bunch of concepts to him,” Gerritzen replied. “Because he is a gamer, he knows this stuff already and has specifically mentioned what he wants to see from us in terms of ideas. So far, that working relationship has been amazing. The same goes for our interactions with Malek Akkad [son of original Halloween producer Moustapha Akkad, associate producer of many of the franchise’s later instalments, and current IP rights holder].”

Echoing these sentiments, Mathewson added: “This is one of those opportunities that comes along once in a lifetime. The stars truly aligned to give us this level of access to the franchise’s lineage, and it’s helped us assemble an experience that is very true to that iconic 1978 film.”

On that note, you might notice that the publicity for Halloween: The Game refers to Carpenter’s movie in isolation, without ever broaching the subject of its sequels, requels, reboots or remakes. That’s because this tie-in is based exclusively on the first film alone, effectively disregarding the rest of the series’ tangled continuity. So don’t go expecting Corey Cunningham loadouts, Silver Shamrock cosmetics or Rob Zombie easter eggs popping up here. It’s original recipe Halloween all the way.

Explaining the rationale behind this, Gerritzen clarified: “It’s about making the cleanest possible version of the universe. We think of it like that first film is a central train station, from which the story goes off in all these crazy directions. I mean, name a movie franchise with 13 films where the continuity is coherent [laughs].

“But keeping it focused on the original film made the most sense to us. The lore is more straightforward. Michael is still young and spry. It just works. However, we’re leaving it open to connect to the other train stations later on down the line if we want to. We’ll see what happens!”

Of course, having the narrative situated in the year 1978 might return Michael to his prime, but he’s never been one for intense cardio anyway. Even in his youth! Compared to Leatherface, Freddy or even Jason, his walking pace is decidedly glacial.

Curious as to how that characteristic will translate into gameplay (without being incredibly frustrating for the person controlling the boogeyman), we asked the devs outright if they have a mitigation in place to stop survivors easily outpacing their would-be killer.

Gerritzen played it coy, only going so far as to indicate that the team does have something up their sleeve: “There’s a very IllFonic way of making that make sense, let’s just say that! We’ve come up with some unique mechanics that Malek and crew are very happy about. You’ll have to watch this space to find the specifics.”

We’re naturally keen to learn more about that system but, based on what we’ve heard so far, it’s not like we needed any more reasons to keep a close eye on this one. For fans of horror games and horror cinema alike, it’s looking very promising indeed. And, hey, if it’s good enough for Carpenter, then it’s good enough for us.

The post ‘Halloween: The Game’ Exclusive Interview – Everything You Need to Know About the Upcoming Game! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Michael Myers returns to Haddonfield in the asymmetric stealth horror game for PC and consoles that immerses players in the terrifying events of John Carpenter’s 1978 movie!

The best news? The game will feature single and multiplayer modes!

Watch the Halloween: The Game trailer below and read on for everything you need to know.

Published by IllFonic, co-published by Gun Interactive, and in partnership with Compass International Pictures and Further Front, Halloween: The Game will stalk its way to Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam and Epic Game Stores in 2026!

Step into the chilling world of John Carpenter’s genre-defining film, now transformed into a suspenseful one-versus-many stealth horror experience. Put on the iconic mask to become the ultimate slasher, Michael Myers, stalking and executing the citizens of Haddonfield one by one, or striving to thwart Michael Myers’ plans as Civilians determined to save the unaware townsfolk before it’s too late.

Stick to the shadows as Civilians, seeking out Haddonfield residents to warn them and searching for a way to contact the authorities. As Michael Myers, give them a reason to fear the dark and cut the phone lines to prevent the police from ruining his favorite holiday. Whether playing solo in story mode, against bots offline, or facing others in online multiplayer, each mode rewards stealth, strategy, and skillful play.

Staying true to the original film, IllFonic masterfully recreates the eerie atmosphere of Haddonfield across multiple maps and authentic locations. With a haunting ambience and score inspired by the legendary movie, Halloween brings the terror home in a new experience that will keep both old and new generations looking over their shoulders.

“Working with Compass International Pictures and Further Front has been a dream,” said Charles Brungardt, CEO and Co-Founder of IllFonic. “As rights holders of the film and producers on the game, they’ve shared incredible insights to help us stay true to the soul of the 1978 film. Their tremendous passion for Michael Myers has pushed us to craft something that fans of the franchise will truly appreciate.”

“We are very excited to have partnered up with the great team at IllFonic to finally bring the definitive digital version of Halloween and Michael Myers to video game fans everywhere,” said Malek Akkad, President of Compass International Pictures, Inc.

“Gun Interactive is proud of our friends at IllFonic on their newest project. As longtime peers within the world of horror, we are excited to lend a hand to their team as needed to see their vision come to light. Seeing them pour all their efforts into honoring an IP near and dear to so many horror fans, we’re happy to help ensure players get to experience the world of Halloween that they’ve built. We can’t wait to see folks in Haddonfield,” Gun Interactive shared.

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