We here at Gamer Social Club have been following the upcoming Halloween game since 2024. Upon the first announcement it was something for horror fans and scaredy cats alike to keep an eye on. The hype didn’t die down as we then saw the first trailer revealed at the Future Game Show in 2025. Michael Myers is the classic horror franchise character with spine tingling music and a mask you can never forget.
So of course as Pax East loomed over us harder than Mikey staring in through the window, we knew we’d have to get hands on when they announced the demo would appear at Pax East 2026.
Up until Pax East we could follow all the details Illfonic provided but we knew it would be nothing like being hands on. So when the opportunity arose, we took it. Can confirm we did not regret it for a moment.
So what’s it like?
We had the opportunity to play as Michael himself and it is quite challenging but in the best ways. You will have to become the master himself at stalking, scaring, and of course, killing if you want to achieve true icon status. However, unlike some other games out there, you have quite a bit of tools to do so. As someone who has played Michael in some other games, the ability to really stalk your prey feels good here. It’s a true game of cat and mouse as you cut the phone lines in town ensuring they can’t call for help. Breaking the locks and barging into their homes when they try to keep you out felt invigorating in the best of ways. The challenge isn’t just in finding them, it’s also in playing with them.
The survivors also have the opportunity to fight back and a good group will absolutely do that to you. Some of them will even work together to ensure they can team up on Michael to give themselves a fighting change. Michael isn’t the only one who can use a knife as a weapon.
Yet even more interesting was the NPC civilians within the town as well. While the game is still 1v4, as Michael, you do have the opportunity to score points against other characters. This helps ensure the town and the map doesn’t feel empty or void of character. While those NPCs are a bit more of the helpless victim, players can work to try and get them to escape. Or at the very least not die before the match is over. Residents are also able to call the police for assistance before running out of town with their lives and limbs. However, you don’t have to just take our word for how much work they’ve put into the game.
Sitting with Illfonic’s Jordan Mathewson, Halloween Design Director
Illfonic spared no expense recreating a slice of Haddonfield for attendees to experience. For those fortunate enough to sit down with Illfonic representatives, a view of a living room in Haddonfield awaited them. The authentic experience brought to life just a small bit of what players could walk through while trying to survive Michael’s reign of terror.
Gamer Social Club had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with Jordan Mathewson from Illfonic to talk a little bit more about the game, the work that went into it, and the joy of watching players react in real time. “Recreating that soft, nice neighborhood is the perfect juxtaposition of that violent vicious killer that steps in,” shares Mathewson during our interview from Pax East. Fans of the franchise will see just how right he is about the setting and how true to the classic film they remained.
For those who want to hear more from the Design Director, be sure to check out our interview on YouTube and down below:
Has this gotten you even more excited for Halloween The Game? Let us know in the comments down below.
Halloween comes early this year when the game launches on PlayStation, Xbox X|S, Epic, and Steam September 8, 2026.
