The future of the Halloween franchise is unknown. While Miramax has been developing a television series based on the property since acquiring the rights in 2023, we haven't heard an update since it was first announced early last year.
Now, with no film or TV reboot currently locked in, fans may be looking at Illfonic’s upcoming video game as the only new take on Michael Myers for the foreseeable future.
Unveiled during PlayStation’s State of Play, the game is set in 1978, the same year John Carpenter’s classic introduced the world to the masked killer known as Michael Myers. Players will explore a sandbox version of Haddonfield, Illinois, crafted in Unreal Engine 5.
In the video, Illfonic’s Miles Dompier explains: “With the help of Unreal Engine 5, we've been able to reconstruct the quiet town of Haddonfield in stunning detail. Remaining authentic to the '70s era aesthetics was essential to how we crafted our play spaces.”
Watch the new video below:
The initial trailer that dropped a few weeks ago already confirmed that the game will feature both online multiplayer and a story mode. However, we now know that there will be a huge emphasis on stepping into Michael’s shoes and how that fits into the overall narrative. Dompier explains: “Stepping behind the mask of this infamous killer, Michael's goal is to find stalk and kill the residents of Haddonfield before Halloween night ends.”
Another major reveal in the new video is the introduction of “Shape Jump,” Illfonic’s interpretation of how Myers seems to appear and disappear at will in the films. “Michael comes equipped with an array of unpredictable endowments, but the most powerful is Shape Jump,” Dompier says. “This is our interpretation of Michael's inexplicable tendency to suddenly appear in completely unexpected places and catch victims off guard.”
Related: Jamie Lee Curtis Might Not Be Done With ‘Halloween' Just Yet : Disney Fanatic
Illfonic is known for asymmetrical titles such as “Friday the 13th: The Game” and “Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed”, but “Halloween” looks like a step above those games.
By setting “Halloween” in the same year as the original 1978 film and explaining Michael Myers’ supernatural abilities through mechanics, it may end up being the only new vision of Halloween fans get until Miramax gives us more about the upcoming TV series.
“Halloween” releases September 8, 2026, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
Are you excited about the upcoming Halloween game? Let us know in the comments down below!
