Credit: Dimension Films / Nightfall Productions / Trancas International Films / Miramax FilmsMichael Myers has stalked his way through countless sequels, reboots, and timelines, but his leap into gaming may finally bring something fans didn’t know they needed: pure fun.
IllFonic, the studio behind “Friday the 13th: The Game” and “Predator: Hunting Grounds”, has unveiled its latest project, simply titled “Halloween”, and it’s shaping up to be a thrilling return to the mood of Carpenter’s original 1978 classic — but with a playfulness that the movies have largely avoided for decades. Watch the trailer for the upcoming game below:
Halloween Has Felt Too Bleak for Too Long
For longtime fans, it’s worth remembering the franchise’s on-screen trajectory. After John Carpenter’s 1978 masterpiece, things became uneven, culminating in 2002’s Halloween: Resurrection, which actually starred American rapper Busta Rhymes in a lead role.
That film has often been derided as one of the weakest entries, but it did bring something rare to the franchise: a sense of seriously campy energy.
What followed, however, couldn’t have been more different. Rob Zombie’s brutal two-film reboot series took Myers into aggressively bleak territory, and David Gordon Green’s recent trilogy doubled down on grimness, with only fleeting sparks of levity.
“Halloween” Breaks New Ground for the Franchise
That’s where IllFonic’s approach feels refreshing. Rather than dragging players through another exercise in despair, the asymmetrical “Halloween” will balance terror with interactivity. Players can step into Myers’ boots to methodically hunt civilians in Haddonfield. or switch perspectives to fight for survival as townsfolk (officially known as Civilians in the game) trying to outwit the masked killer.
But the game doesn’t just lean on multiplayer, as many of IllFonic’s past projects have (“Friday the 13th”) — it includes a single-player story mode crafted with input from John Carpenter and franchise caretaker Malek Akkad. That narrative angle promises a more accessible experience for fans who may not necessarily gravitate toward online matches.
Related: ‘Halloween’ Reboot Makes Laurie Strode the New Michael Myers
This is “Shaping” Up to Be a Perfect Halloween Entry
If the trailer is anything to go by, IllFonic has painstakingly re-created Haddonfield as a living, breathing playground of fear, complete with multiple maps and a hauntingly faithful atmosphere. The gameplay loop — cutting phone lines, shadowy stalking, desperate warnings from civilians — directly mirrors what made the original film so terrifying in 1978.
If Halloween: Resurrection was the franchise’s last attempt at being weirdly enjoyable, then IllFonic’s “Halloween” may finally give audiences a chance to embrace the franchise in a way that feels chilling and entertaining (or, as Busta Rhymes might say, “danger-taining”).
In a series often accused of taking itself too seriously, this game might just be the most fun Myers has been in over twenty years.
“Halloween” releases sometime in 2026.
Do you think the new Halloween game looks fun? Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below!