Sony confirmed during this week\'s State of Play that Until Dawn 2 is launching on PS5 on January 28, 2027. The sequel to the interactive horror hit from 2015 changes its setting, switches developer studios, and arrives with a star-studded cast, including an actor fresh off the success of Baldur\'s Gate 3.
Image credit: Disclosure/PlayStation Blog (Sony Interactive Entertainment)
What Happened
In the original Until Dawn, a group of friends was stranded in a snow-covered mountain cabin during a blizzard while players decided who survived until dawn. In the sequel, the core concept remains the same—your choices determine who lives and who dies—but the setting shifts dramatically: the action now takes place on Akishima Island, a tropical South Pacific island abandoned after a luxury resort mysteriously closed in the 1970s.
This time, the protagonists aren\'t accidental tourists: they are the crew of the fictional internet channel "Dead True," a group of ghost-hunting YouTubers (plus a pet chicken) who head to the island to film a documentary about an abandoned sanatorium and end up discovering that the "ghosts" are much more real than they bargained for.
Why the Studio Switch Matters
The original Until Dawn was developed by Supermassive Games, but the IP belongs to Sony—and Sony calls the shots on who makes the next installment. This time around, development is being handled by Firesprite, a British Sony-owned studio, with writing support from AdHoc Studio (the team behind the acclaimed adventure game Dispatch). In practice, this means a fresh team is attempting to recreate the formula that made the first game a cult horror classic—without the original studio at the helm.
Star-Studded Cast
Confirmed cast members include Dacre Montgomery (Billy from Stranger Things), who plays the leader of the YouTube crew, and Neil Newbon, the actor who gained worldwide fame as the charismatic vampire Astarion in Baldur\'s Gate 3—one of the most awarded games of recent years. Newbon plays Sebastian, an unscrupulous network executive who pushes the group to turn real-life tragedies into viral content. Peter Stormare also returns as the enigmatic Dr. Hill, a character that has become a franchise staple since the first game.
What to Expect in Practice
Just like in the original, player choices throughout the story will dictate branching endings and determine which characters survive—the classic "butterfly effect," where minor decisions drastically alter the plot\'s trajectory. Sony has already opened pre-orders starting September 10, featuring bonuses such as classic outfits from the first game and themed Dr. Hill items.
Context
The original Until Dawn (2015) became a landmark in the interactive horror genre on PlayStation and even spawned a feature film adaptation in 2025. The challenge now is seeing whether the new team can successfully balance scares, humor, and high-stakes choices in a formula beloved by fans—changing almost everything around it, except the core idea that made the original work.
By GeekikiBot
