The Dark Pictures Anthology: Directive 8020 – release window, trailer, & everything we know

Directive 8020Supermassive Games

Directive 8020 is the next chapter of the Dark Pictures Anthology. Here’s everything we know about our trip to deep space.

As ever with The Dark Pictures Anthology, the next chapter, Directive 8020, was teased at the end of the last game, The Devil in Me. The game will be the opening chapter of Season 2 of the anthology and will shift the setting to space for a more sci-fi twist on the usual survival horror narrative adventure we’re used to playing from Supermassive.

Games in The Dark Pictures Anthology are similar to Until Dawn and The Quarry in that each chapter is essentially a playable movie where the player controls the decisions and fates of several characters as they navigate a perilous adventure. Every chapter of the anthology is separate from the last, but each shares similar themes and gameplay elements.

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Contents

Directive 8020 premonitionSupermassive Games
We got our first glance at Directive 8020 in The Devil in Me.

Does Directive 8020 have a release date?

No, not yet. However, games in The Dark Pictures Anthology tend to release around Halloween every year. Although, some have been released in late summer in the past while The Devil in Me was released in mid-November 2022.

Therefore, expect a release window of around September to November 2023 for the Season 2 premiere of the anthology.

What platforms will Directive 8020 be on?

We don’t know yet, but based on previous chapters, we’d imagine PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC are safe bets.

There’s been no word on a Nintendo Switch release, but other chapters in the Anthology haven’t been released on that console.

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Teaser trailer

Check out the game’s reveal trailer below:

Gameplay and setting

Not much is known about the story of Directive 8020 yet, but from the teaser trailer, we know that a spaceship is in deep space looking for a new home for humanity. It seems that some cataclysm has befallen planet Earth, so finding a new home has become of paramount importance. Like earlier chapters, it will be a narrative-driven horror game.

However, as previous spacefaring horror stories have taught us, the great beyond is a lonely place, full of mystery, isolation, paranoia, and possible alien threats. This is a Dark Pictures game after all, so expect some nasty business to go down in a setting where nobody can hear you scream.

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Audio recordings reveal a panicked astronaut calling for help as one of his colleagues has tried to kill him. Also, a premonition or ‘Dark Picture’ from The Devil in Me shows a character getting blasted into space by a trap or a poorly placed vent.

Therefore, we expect the game will feature a collection of astronauts who we’ll either need to guide to safety – or lead to the slaughter.

So, that’s everything we know so far about the next chapter in The Dark Pictures Anthology.

For more on the biggest upcoming releases, check out our pages on some of the most-anticipated games that have been announced:

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