A new Friday the 13th prequel game is in the works

Just when we thought Jason Voorhees had hung up his hockey mask for good (or at least, for good-good, not just “until the next reboot”), we’ve been hit with the most delightful surprise since finding an extra marshmallow in our s’mores: a new Friday the 13th-themed video game is shambling its way.

According to the ever-vigilant folks at Bloody Disgusting, Robbie Barsamian of Horror Inc. (a company name that just screams family fun, doesn’t it?) spilt the bloody beans. Not only is a new movie on the horizon (because 16 years without a new cinematic slasher just isn’t enough), but a game is also in development. And it’s a prequel. So, get ready to see Jason’s awkward teenage years, presumably before he discovered the joys of hydrodynamics and, erm, dismemberment.

It was a true masterclass in tantalising ambiguity, but who needs details when you have hope? This is fantastic news for fans of Illfonic’s 2017 game, which, let’s be honest, went out with less of a bang and more of a whimper, but during its brief life, it did build up a cult following, with the game only dying due to licensing issues. “We’re in a position to deliver on that,” Barsamian declared, which sounds like someone finally found the lost intellectual property deeds under a pile of old VHS tapes.

“While we’re not officially announcing with our partners today, both are coming. They’re both in the works and they’re both coming,” he added. The previous game, Friday the 13th: The Game, was a commercially successful horror experience, despite a start as rocky as a path through Crystal Lake. Its untimely demise in 2018 due to a lawsuit (the real horror, some would argue) left a Jason-shaped hole in our hearts.

The Jason Universe, a new enterprise set up last year to bring our favourite hockey-mask-wearing villain into the modern era, is not messing around. It promised “fresh entertainment, games, experiences, merch and more,” and it looks like they’re delivering. Let’s just hope this new game isn’t another victim of bureaucratic shenanigans.

• There's a Resident Evil game you can only play in... Essex