It’s been over four years since Frictional Games released its most recent horror game, SOMA. Between 2010 and 2015, Frictional had an incredible streak of impressive horror games, with Amnesia: The Dark Descent widely considered an iconic horror classic. Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs was a more controversially loved cult hit, and SOMA was then a return to form for a studio many considered to be among the best horror developers in the industry. Five years later, Frictional may be teasing what comes next.
Over the past 24 hours, while many of Frictional’s fans were celebrating the holidays with their families, Frictional made a change to a very important website. It’s not very subtle, but the website’s URL is NextFrictionalGame.com. This URL has been used to tease Frictional’s projects since 2012, when it was used in the build-up to Amnesia: A Machine for pig’s announcement. It was also used to tease SOMA’s announcement in 2013. Now the website is alive again, pulsing and hinting that Frictional may be ready to announce a new project soon.
There’s not going to be any revelations from the teaser, but Frictional fans can perhaps start to use their imaginations. The website’s new teaser is a small animation. A majority of the page is a simple black color. At the center of the page, however, is a small flashing light. It’s a circle that seems to be blinking, as if one is looking up from the bottom of a well and the daylight is being smothered by passing clouds. Though that’s perhaps too much of a reference to The Ring. This blinking goes on forever without change. It’s a simple animation, indicating Frictional is up to something.
The page is clearly teasing something. It’s much like how SOMA’s teasers started with a progress bar showing a percentage. Whatever this light is, it’s certain to grow or change in the coming days, weeks, or months. It’s just a matter of when fans can figure out what the blinking light is, or otherwise find a leak through the webpage’s code. After five years, Frictional Games appears poised to introduce fans to its next project.
There are many remaining questions to be answered by Frictional. For example, whether Frictional’s next game will be planned for a release in 2020 or if it’s further off. The next game could also be planned for next-gen platforms if an early-to-mid 2020 launch isn’t in the works. What the story and setting are is obviously still a mystery, but fans may also consider that Frictional could be working on a licensed project, too.
Perhaps the only clear detail is that Frictional Games is working on a new horror game. In 2017, Frictional confirmed that its next projects would be “horrific in nature.” Hopefully, more will be shared soon.
