Evil Dead: The Game is dead - Switch port canned
Well, that's definitely not "groovy" news. Just over a year after Ash Williams revved his chainsaw back into our lives with Evil Dead: The Game, Saber Interactive is putting down its weapons and confirming that no new content will be coming to the asymmetric horror survival game.
Flicking through the pages of the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis and bringing Sam Raimi's blood-soaked creation to life for this generation of video games, Evil Dead: The Game was supposed to cash in on the success of titles like Friday the 13th: The Game and Dead by Daylight. Sadly, it seems it was dead on arrival.
Evil Dead: The Game is dead
Despite only being released on May 13, 2022, Evil Dead: The Game is already heading to the grave. Posting a lengthy message on Twitter, the team confirmed that no new multiplayer content will be arriving in-game. Rubbing salt in the wound, it should come as no surprise the planned Switch port has also been canned.
Alongside boasting the legendary Bruce Campbell reprising his role as Ash Williams, a castle map inspired by Army of Darkness, and a Splatter Royale mode in February, Evil Dead: The Game's move to Steam on PC after being an Epic Store exclusive has seen things dry up.
Servers will remains active for the "foreseeable future," but with dwindling player counts, good luck getting into much of a match. It's unclear why Evil Dead: The Game is Dead, but with Saber Interactive parent company Embracer Group undergoing a massive restructure, it's thought Ash and the Deadites have been lost in the shuffle.
Has the asymmetric horror bubble burst?
Click to enlargeWe've seen a run of asymmetric horrors meeting the same fate, and they all have something in common. Whereas the likes of Evil Dead: The Game and Friday the 13th: The Game have latched themselves onto a specific horror icon, Dead by Daylight has its finger in many putrid pies.
Only recently, Behaviour Interactive delivered a long-rumoured Alien collab, bringing Ripley and The Xenomorph to the Void. We've had everything from Stranger Things to Hellraiser make its mark on the title, with wishlists extending to everyone from Pennywise to Candyman.
As Evil Dead: The Game dies, a different chainsaw-wielding game rises from the dirt. Gun Interactive's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre fills the gap it leaves behind. As Ash and co. only lasted just over a year, we'll have to wait and see whether Leatherface can escape this grim legacy.
