After 16 years of relative obscurity following the release of the 2009Friday the 13thremake, theFriday the 13thfranchise is back in full swing with multiple upcoming film, TV, and game projects. For one, production on the A24Friday the 13thprequel series,Crystal Lake, is in full production and set to finish filming this fall and expected to debut in 2026. At 2025’s San Diego Comic Con Jason Universe panel, Horror, Inc. announced that Jason Voorhees will officially return to the silver screen this August through the 13-minute-long short-form vignetteSweet Revenge. On top ofSweet Revenge, Horror Inc. Executive Vice President Robbie Barsamian announced that a new sequelFriday the 13thfilm and game are in development. However, the new game may not be what fans expect.
Everything Known About Friday the 13th’s New Film and Game
After showing a trailer forSweet Revengeand announcing that the vignette would debut on August 13th, the Jason Universe panel concluded with Barsamian announcing that anewFriday the 13thsequel film and gameare in the works. Specifically, Barsamian stated, “I can tell you that a new sequel movie and new sequel game are at the top of our list. It’s where most of our energy’s going right now. And I can tell you finally we’re in a position to deliver on that.” Barsamian told attendees that Horror Inc. wasn’t prepared yet to publicly unveil who they’re working with to produce both the film and game, but he assured fans that both theFriday the 13thfilm and game are coming.
It’s currently unknown if the newFriday the 13thmovie and game will build on story beats established intheCrystal Lakeshowor inSweet Revenge, which is directed by Mike P. Nelson, who previously directed 2021’sWrong Turnreboot and directed the upcoming 2025Silent Night, Deadly Nightreboot. While Barsamian did call the upcomingFriday the 13thmovie and game sequels, it’s currently unknown if the film will be a sequel toFriday the 13th’s original 11 filmsor be a sequel to the 2009 Platinum DunesFriday the 13thremake. It’s additionally unknown if the sequelFriday the 13thgame will be a sequel to IllFonic’s recently discontinued 2017Friday the 13th: The Game.- though it would arguably make more sense for the new game to be tied to the upcoming film as opposed to being a direct successor to IllFonic’s project.
The Potential Direction and Gameplay of the New Friday the 13th Game
Friday the 13thhas never truly had a perfect horror game of its own. Several companies have attempted to adaptFriday the 13thin video game form before, with Domark’s 1986Friday the 13th: The Computer Game, Atlus’s 1989Friday the 13th, and Blue Wizard Digital’s 2018Friday the 13th: Killer Puzzle. However, none of these games were able to capture the horrifying appeal of Jason Voorhees’ Camp Crystal Lake kills as the films did.2017’sFriday the 13th: The Gamecame close to being a greatFriday the 13thgame with its perfect recreation of multiple Jason outfits and film sets, but it was restricted by its online reliance and lack of updates due to then ongoing legal battles with theFriday the 13thIP.
With horror films and games becoming increasingly mainstream, it would seem that Horror Inc. is at an opportune moment to debut both aFriday the 13thfilm and a game. However, it would make sense for the game to be closely tied to the film for synergy and to help better establish the new Jason Universe instead of making fans potentially confused by featuring elements fromFriday the 13th’s two other timelines. This may depend on what structure Horror Inc. is going for with theFriday the 13thgame, as a narrative-driven, single-player survival horror game may be better connected solely to the new film. Meanwhile,a newFriday the 13thmultiplayer gamecould potentially incorporate elements from all Jason media similar toFriday the 13th: The Game, even if it’s not a proper sequel. Right now, it’s anyone’s guess what the game will look like, but there are reasons to believe it will be a bit different from what fans have already seen.
The Potential Story of the New Friday the 13th Game
If the newFriday the 13thfilm and game are tied to one another, the game could potentially connect the film to theCrystal Lakeseries or simply depict one fatefulFriday the 13thoff-screen. For example, theCrystal Lakeseries appears to be depicting Jason Voorhees’ initial “death” and subsequent murder spree by his mom,Pamela Voorhees, from the firstFriday the 13thmovie. If the newFriday the 13thfilm is essentially a remake ofFriday the 13th Part 2and3, theFriday the 13thgame could depict a younger Jason struggling to survive alone near Crystal Lake and killing off nearby residents, hunters, and campers. This way, Jason would be playable and feature a story that wouldn’t conflict with the series or the new film.
