Gun Interactive’s Friday the 13th: The Game reaches its final chapter today as servers permanently shut down due to license expiration. The 2017 asymmetrical multiplayer horror game, which let players either survive as camp counselors or stalk as Jason Voorhees, leaves behind a significant legacy in the gaming industry despite its troubled development history.
The game’s potential was notably hampered by a lengthy legal dispute between director Sean Cunningham and writer Victor Miller over the Friday the 13th property. This legal battle prevented developers from adding new content, including the highly anticipated Uber Jason from Jason X. Even fan attempts to mod in new content were met with cease and desist orders from Horror Inc.
However, Friday the 13th: The Game’s influence on the gaming industry cannot be understated. It helped establish the foundation for the now-thriving asymmetrical horror multiplayer genre, paving the way for successful titles like Dead by Daylight. The game also proved instrumental in launching bigger projects for both publisher Gun Interactive, who went on to develop The Texas Chain Saw Massacre: The Game, and developer IllFonic, which created Predator: Hunting Grounds, Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, and Killer Klowns From Outer Space: The Game.
The future of Friday the 13th in gaming isn’t completely dark. Jason Voorhees currently appears as a playable character in WB Games’ MultiVersus, and the recently launched Jason Universe initiative promises to bring the franchise back across various mediums, including video games. Additionally, a rumored new game involving series composer Harry Manfredini is reportedly in development.
As players log in for their final matches today, they bid farewell to a game that, despite its challenges, helped reshape the landscape of multiplayer horror gaming.
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