Layers of Fears is a 'psychological horror chronicle' coming in 2023

Following a week of not exactly subtle teasers, Bloober Team announced at the Summer Game Fest today that its next big horror project will be Layers of Fears, "a psychological horror chronicle built upon the foundations of the original Layers of Fear" that's set to debut in 2023.

Layers of Fears is actually an updated, expanded compilation of the original Layers of Fear, the Inheritance DLC, and the "indirect sequel" Layers of Fear 2. Bloober Team says the new project will enhance the "psychedelic experience fans know and love" from the previous games with an expanded story and gameplay, all of it completely rebuilt in Unreal Engine 5.

“We are bringing back a franchise that is really special for us, in a new form that will give players a truly fresh gaming experience and that will shed new light on the overall story," Bloober Team CEO Piotr Babieno said.

"Our plan was to recreate the games, but we didn’t want to make it a simple collection of two remastered games. We’ve worked out a new approach, something that is maybe not yet obvious. But I can tell you there’s a reason why we called it Layers of Fears."

I'm not sure that a do-over is quite what fans were hoping for, but it'll be a good way for newcomers to get into the games—and the UE5 graphics showcased in the trailer are a real upgrade over the originals. Layers of Fears is expected to be out sometime in 2023, and for now you can find out more at layersoffears.com.

Image 1 of 5

Layers of Fears — (Image credit: Bloober Team)

PRODUCTS

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.