There’s just over a week left before Friday the 13th: The Game, the awkwardly titled yet surprisingly decent multiplayer slasher, sinks back into Camp Crystal Lake forever, as it’s to be delisted from sale on December 31st.
Developed by IllFonic and launched in 2017, Friday the 13th: The Game saw groups of survivors trying to evade a player-controlled Jason as he stomped around Camp Crystal Lake, killing off every player he could in creatively grisly ways. While a bit rough around the edges, it was a smart adaptation of the license, and could be an absolute blast if you landed the right group of people. Tyler gave it a score of 75 in his review, saying it had “richer comedic potential and more to do” than Dead by Daylight.
Yet while the game itself was good, everything around it seemed beset by problems. The game’s launch was hobbled by server problems that were simply impossible to ignore. A lawsuit over ownership of the Friday the 13th license derailed the game’s DLC plans, and its dedicated servers were shut down in November 2020, though Quick Play lobbies and the ability to play Private Matches remained active.
Nonetheless, the game shuffled on in grim yet determined fashion for another three years. But the inevitable announcement came in July. “The time has come,” Gun Media wrote portentously on Twitter. “Our license for Friday the 13th will expire on December 31st 2023. On that date, Friday the 13th: The Game will no longer be available for sale, both physically and digitally.”
Gun Media recently issued a reminder of the impending date via the game’s official Twitter account. On his personal account Gun Media co-founder Wes Keltner thanked the game’s fans. “I hear countless stories about friends made in this game,” he wrote. “Hell, even soul mates found each other at Crystal Lake! I make these games so people can come together and have fun.”
If you own the game, you’ll still be able to play through Dec of 2024. Thank you to the fans. I hear countless stories about friends made in this game. Hell, even soul mates found each other at Crystal Lake! I make these games so people can come together and have fun. December 15, 2023
In that same message, Keltner also reiterated the one bit of good news about all this, namely that the game will continue to function through “at least” December 31st 2024. So if you’ve always fancied trying the game out but never actually got around to it, consider this final notice. The game’s currently priced at £4.29 on Steam, with the various DLCs available for 89p a pop. Given I’ve spent more on sandwiches, it isn’t the worst deal going.
If you don’t fancy picking up a game that might only have a year left on the clock, developer IllFonic has gone on to make other licensed asymmetrical multiplayer games, though none of them are as good as their first attempt. 2021’s Predator: Hunting Grounds had a decent core to it, but made its iconic alien too weedy in multiplayer scraps. More recently, IllFonic released Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, though Noah didn’t think much of it in his review, calling it “a bit of a bore.” All told, you’re probably better off picking up the Texas Chainsaw Massacre game (which was also published by Gun Media) or just sticking with good ol’ Dead by Daylight.
