New Halloween Video Game Announced for 2026 – Step Into the Mask of Michael Myers
The Shape is coming to consoles. IllFonic, the developer behind Friday the 13th: The Game, has announced that a brand-new asymmetric horror title based on John Carpenter’s 1978 classic Halloween will launch in 2026. The news was unveiled during Future Game Show Live at Gamescom, accompanied by the game’s first teaser trailer and official press release.
A Return to Haddonfield with Halloween
Simply titled Halloween, the game is designed as an asymmetric stealth-horror experience with both single-player and multiplayer options. Players will either step into the iconic mask of Michael Myers, hunting down unsuspecting townsfolk, or fight to stop his killing spree as civilians struggling to protect their community in Haddonfield.
IllFonic is partnering with Gun Interactive — who co-published Friday the 13th: The Game — along with Compass International Pictures and Further Front, the rights holders behind Carpenter’s seminal slasher. The title will be available on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store when it launches in 2026.
The announcement is especially significant for fans of the Halloween franchise. While Michael Myers has appeared as a playable character in Dead by Daylight, this marks the first time he has headlined his own dedicated video game.
IllFonic’s Horror Legacy
IllFonic is no stranger to asymmetric horror. Their 2017 release Friday the 13th: The Game was plagued with glitches and server issues at launch but gradually grew into a cult favorite. Players loved the tense cat-and-mouse dynamic of playing as either Jason Voorhees or one of the camp counselors trying to survive the night. Sadly, legal disputes over the Friday the 13th franchise led to the game’s shutdown in January 2024.
Since then, IllFonic has experimented with other multiplayer titles like Predator: Hunting Grounds and Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, both of which explored asymmetrical “hunter vs. hunted” mechanics. With Halloween, the studio has the opportunity to refine what worked in their earlier efforts while leveraging one of horror’s most enduring properties.
The Shape in Video Games
Michael Myers has long been one of the genre’s most terrifying icons. From his silent presence in Carpenter’s original Halloween to his countless returns across sequels, reboots, and remakes, Myers remains the definitive masked slasher. His unnerving slow walk, relentless pursuit, and chilling theme music have made him a legend in horror cinema — and a natural fit for interactive horror experiences.
While Myers has been featured in crossover games such as Dead by Daylight, which also included Laurie Strode as a survivor character, he’s never been the star of his own standalone title until now. With this game, IllFonic and Gun Interactive aim to immerse players directly into the nightmare of Haddonfield, either as the unstoppable killer or the desperate townspeople trying to survive his wrath.
A Crowded Horror Gaming Field
In recent years, several classic horror IPs have been adapted into multiplayer experiences. Evil Dead: The Game, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and Killer Klowns from Outer Space all sought to tap into nostalgia and asymmetrical horror gameplay. Unfortunately, many of these titles have struggled to maintain long-term communities, often shuttering servers after only a year or two.
The one major exception is Dead by Daylight, which remains a juggernaut after nine years. Boasting a roster of licensed killers and survivors from across horror history — including Michael Myers himself — it continues to attract a loyal, global player base. The challenge for IllFonic’s Halloween will be finding its unique identity in a space dominated by Dead by Daylight.
Will This Be the Horror Game Fans Have Waited For?
Despite the risks, excitement around the announcement is high. Fans have long dreamed of a fully realized Halloween video game, and IllFonic’s experience with similar projects positions them as a strong candidate to deliver. If the studio can blend the tense, creeping dread of the original 1978 film with engaging gameplay mechanics, this could become more than just another slasher tie-in.
For now, horror gamers will have to wait until 2026 to see if IllFonic can finally give Michael Myers the video game treatment he deserves. Until then, the trailer serves as an ominous promise: the Shape is coming, and no one in Haddonfield will be safe.
