The 1980s were prime time to be a horror film fan. The decade was filled with many iconic horrifying films and characters, such as Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, The Evil Dead, The Thing, and Hellraiser. Over the following decades, many of these horror film franchises would receive several sequels and be expanded upon in books, comics, and video games of varying quality and success. While Friday the 13th, The Evil Dead, and The Thing had previously received cult classic game adaptations or sequels, Hellraiser never gained a video game adaptation of its own -- until Saber Interactive and Boss Team Games announced the development of Hellraiser: Revival in July 2025.

Dead by Daylight Fans Will Want to Check Out This Newly Announced Horror Game

Dead by Daylight fans have a new horror title to look forward to that could fill the void left by the exit of a crossover character.

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By LB Beistad

Hellraiser: Revival’s Development and Direction Explained

Despite the original four Hellraiser films grossing over $47 million and receiving favorable reviews, Hellraiser struggled to gain a foothold in the 21st century both in its direct-to-video and digital sequels and its expanded material. Hellraiser is still popular today, with the Cenobites Pinhead and Chatterer appearing in Dead by Daylight in 2021, but all Hellraiser content was later removed by Behaviour Interactive in April 2025 due to licensing issues.

However, nearly 40 years after the Hellraiser franchise began, Pinhead fans will finally be able to play a dedicated Hellraiser video game soon with Hellraiser: Revival. Based primarily on 1987’s Hellraiser and 1988’s Hellbound: Hellraiser 2, Hellraiser: Revival is a single-player, first-person survival horror game intended for PS5, Xbox, and PC platforms.

While Hellraiser: Revival is being developed by Saber Interactive and Boss Team Games, the title was additionally overseen by Hellraiser’s original creator, Clive Barker. According to Barker, working on Revival has been a “... Venture deep into the recesses of my darkest imaginings.” Barker went on to explain that the game will balance “on the brink of nightmare and revelation” with its tense gameplay and a new story centered around the twisted depths of pain and pleasure. On top of Barker returning to work on Revival, Pinhead’s original actor, Doug Bradley, additionally returned to reprise his breakout terrifying role 38 years after the original Hellraiser film released.

Hellraiser: Revival’s Horrifying Story and Gameplay

In Hellraiser: Revival, players will embody Aidan, a young man who must use the dark powers of the Genesis Configuration to travel to the Labyrinth, seen in Hellbound: Hellraiser 2, and rescue his girlfriend Sunny from unholy beings of pain and pleasure. It’s currently unknown what makes the Genesis Configuration different from the traditional Lament Configuration puzzle box, but Hellraiser: Revival trailer suggests that Sunny used the Genesis Configuration to inadvertently summon the Cenobites and take her away. According to Saber Interactive, players will be able to use the Genesis Configuration to help fight off the Labyrinth’s many wretches, deviants, cultists, and infernal Cenobites priests such as Butterball, Chatterer and Open/Deep Throat.

One screenshot of Hellraiser: Revival appears to show Aidan using the Genesis Configuration to solve a type of puzzle, which is appropriate given that the Configurations are puzzle boxes. In one instance in the trailer, it appears Aidan uses the Genesis Configuration to deploy razor wire around a wretch’s head and subsequently decapitates it with the box. Besides the Configuration, Aidan will additionally be able to use pistols, spiked baseball bats, and knives to fight unholy foes. Aidan may not always be alone in his quest to save Sunny from the Cenobites, as one screenshot of Hellraiser: Revival appears to show Aidan working alongside police to face a horde of wretches.

The Potential 80s Horror Allure of Hellraiser: Revival

Survival horror video games have seen a resurgence in recent years thanks to Resident Evil and Silent Hill remakes, but most modern survival horror games are not based directly on any celebrated horror film franchise, besides multiplayer-oriented titles such as Sumo Nottingham’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Hellraiser has always been known for being especially grotesque yet alluring with its celebrated special effects, costume design, and props, making it a perfect fit among other survival horror games such as Outlast and Dead Space. While the Hellraiser franchise may have dipped in value and fan appeal in the 21st century, Hellraiser: Revival may be the boost the franchise needed to bring 1980s horror fans back into Pinhead’s grasp.

Saber Interactive has not confirmed a release date for Hellraiser: Revival yet, but it noted that fans won’t have to wait too long to play it. The game can already be pre-ordered online.

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