Until Dawn 2 Finally Confirmed – But There’s a Catch
Fans of Until Dawn are finally getting a proper sequel to the hit horror game.
Sony had a big surprise in store for fans of Until Dawn during this month’s State of Play, announcing a long-awaited sequel to its 2015 hit survival horror game and dropping a trailer that teased a new nightmare for a fresh gaggle of young adults (and returning cast member Peter Stormare) who will be embarking on a ghost hunt to a mysterious island instead of retreating to a snowy mountain setting this time around. Additionally, it revealed that Stranger Things fan favorite Dacre Montgomery would be leading the cast.
While this was welcome news for everyone who loved saving (or killing) characters through the choices, QTEs, and dreaded “Butterfly Effect” of Until Dawn’s gameplay, it soon became apparent that Supermassive Games, the dev outfit behind the first title, wasn’t behind this new release, having been replaced by Firesprite, the developer of 2018’s VR reality survival horror game The Persistence. Sony Interactive Entertainment acquired Firesprite in 2021, and it remains a first-party developer for PlayStation Studios, whereas Supermassive is still a subsidiary of Nordisk Games.
As a result of this developer switch, Until Dawn fans were soon tempering their expectations for the upcoming sequel. Supermassive was instrumental in creating the Until Dawn-style gameplay that lingers not only in this future release but also in its spiritual sequel, The Quarry, and in the Dark Pictures Anthology. The developer’s breakout hit certainly drew inspiration from both teen slasher movies and previous cinematic interactive games like Heavy Rain, yet it crafted Until Dawn’s format and story more savvily around player decisions with long-term consequences. The notion that every character could potentially survive or die, but you’d still have to play on regardless (usually while gnashing your teeth at any minor errors) was simply irresistible, with these small “Butterfly Effect” decisions potentially having huge consequences later on. Ironically, the game was later adapted into a feature film in 2025.
“Excited about Until Dawn 2 and it looks good but also, it not being done by Supermassive Games gives me pause,” posted one fan reacting to the announcement over on X, while another noted, “Until Dawn 2 does not feel like Until Dawn 2 because Supermassive Games has been pumping out games that look just like that for the last decade. Very odd.” Others questioned why Sony hadn’t retained its relationship with Supermassive for a true sequel. “I don’t quite know how Supermassive’s relationship deteriorated with Sony in years since but any game like this NOT made by SM? Not an Until Dawn game sorry. Quarry was a great spiritual successor. This is not it.”
Sony made no comment on the matter, simply teasing Until Dawn 2 with the logline “Ready to die for likes? Join a team of ambitious ghost hunters as they chase their next viral hit on a remote island haunted by a woman’s chilling story of something far darker than they bargained for. When the tale begins to manifest in terrifying ways, survival will take more than a strong signal to get off the island alive. Their lives are in your hands. Make every choice count,” and confirming that the game will be released for PlayStation 5 in 2027.
Whether it will live up to the first Until Dawn remains to be seen.