Among the many surprises at the Sony State of Play was a full trailer for the next horror title from the well-known horror game publisher IllFonic. That game is Halloween. IllFonic is known for its work on games like Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, Friday the 13th: The Game, Predator: Hunting Grounds, and, most recently, Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Game. Asymmetric multiplayer horror games are quite the booming industry right now, and Halloween is sure to be the latest in a long line of quality titles starring 80s horror icons.
The trailer features commentary by a member of the IllFonic team, who discusses the studio’s goals for the gameplay and setting. The biggest thing they stress is that they’ve recreated Haddonfield from the movie that fans practically know by heart. They said that not only did they work to recreate the locations from the film, but also ensured that everything within them had a “70s-era aesthetic”, just like the movie. I have to say, the game apes the 70s look perfectly. It almost feels like a video game recreation of my great-grandmother’s house in Paramount, back in the day.
The game puts you in the shoes of Michael Myers, and your job is pretty simple. You’re to track down and kill the residents of Haddonfield before Halloween ends. How you choose to do that is up to you. Think of it as a more sadistic Hitman in that you have complete control over how you end your victims, and this alone increases replay value. One of the best parts of Hitman, which Rob and I talked about in reference to the upcoming James Bond 007: First Light, was how much fun we had replaying the levels and discovering some of the secret kills (iykyk) and hidden easter eggs within the game. Halloween offers up that same rewarding style of play, but with the added flair of being Michael Myers.
While you play as Michael Myers from the movies, the game takes some liberties with Myers’ abilities. Their reasoning behind it was pretty sound. They wanted to provide players with the same sense of presence that Myers had in the film. Confused? They introduce an ability called shape jump, which makes him invisible to the NPCs around him. IllFonic literally stated that this was their interpretation of Myers’ “inexplicable tendency to suddenly appear in completely unexpected places to catch people off guard.” In other words, this is their explanation for how Myers was in one place in one scene and seemingly all the way across town the next second, a common trope in 80s horror/slasher films.
I think it’s a pretty clever and unique way to stay faithful to the films in allowing Myers to be everywhere at once through game mechanics. It’s honestly not that different from gameplay features in any of the other horror games we’ve seen from IllFonic. Friday the 13th: The Game also featured something extremely similar. Jason had a limited ability to see nearby victims and teleport to any location on the map. This wasn’t something you could abuse, but it was a way to keep players on their toes at all times.
As with other games, you can also choose to play as a citizen of Haddonfield and try to survive being chased by Myers. As one of these “hero characters,” your job is to warn your fellow citizens about the danger, find a phone, and call the police for help. They give you items to use against Myers, including a gun, but be careful. They state that while you can “knock him down, but you can’t kill the boogeyman.”
The game is still in development and is slated to come out in September 2026. That may seem like a long time, but it will be here before you know it, assuming no delays take place. Whether or not it sells well is a different question, as fans have been rather divided with their opinions on IllFonic being the publisher of this game. There is an especially prescient Reddit thread from almost eight months ago where a fan begged IllFonic to stay away from Halloween, as it is their favorite franchise of all time, following the release of Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Game.
The new gameplay trailer for the ‘HALLOWEEN’ game has been released.
Releasing on September 8, 2026 pic.twitter.com/F8uP6Fz1TS
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) September 24, 2025
That fan and the ensuing comments all discussed how IllFonic is one of the worst developers in the horror space, with a reputation for playing it safe and prioritizing cosmetics and monetization over gameplay and progression. The whole thread has aged like milk in terms of people getting what they want. One fan sagely predicted that “Halloween doesn’t even make sense to adapt as a game.”
Other fans are relieved by the fact that it’s IllFonic and Gun teaming together to get this project done. Gun Interactive made Friday the 13th: The Game with IllFonic. They also made The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, so they have ample experience in the asymmetrical horror genre and will work with IllFonic to make the best title possible. In other words, the fans are divided, just like always. Some think it’s good, some think it’s bad. I think they should wait until it comes out to judge it.
Anyhow, we will have more information on this title as it pops up. Are there any other titles you’d like us to cover? If you think we should be covering something, reach out to us and let us know. The best way we can serve you is by listening, and I’m always down to try new games and new things, for the most part. I don’t do JRPGs, and I don’t do Soulslikes. They just don’t jibe with me. Anything else, I’m happy to try. So, let me know and keep it locked here on BSO for all your gaming news.
