Last updated on December 12, 2025
The team behind classics like Soma is returning to its roots. Frictional Games used The Game Awards 2025 to introduce Ontos, a science-fiction horror title set for a 2026 launch on PC and consoles. For fans, the reveal felt like a homecoming, the trailer’s atmosphere of lonely facilities and existential dread is a clear evolution of the studio’s most impactful work.
Stepping into the Moon Hotel Samsara
This time, the story takes us to the Samsara, a luxury hotel on the moon. You’ll step into the role of Aditi Amani, an engineer searching for answers about her father’s fate. It’s a deeply personal starting point that will likely expand into much larger, unsettling questions about reality and consciousness.
Frictional is emphasizing player ingenuity with this project. They’ve stated that challenges in Ontos won’t have one obvious answer. You’ll need to observe the environment and improvise your own solutions, then deal with the resulting consequences. This philosophy should make the journey through the Samsara feel uniquely tense and personal.
Powered by a New Engine
The game is built on a new engine and features the voice of Stellan Skarsgård, both promising a fresh but familiar level of depth. Ontos appears to be exactly what its devotees have been waiting for: a smart, slow-burn horror experience designed to linger in your mind long after you’ve put the controller down.
