The Dark Pictures Anthology: Directive 8020 – trailers, setting & more

Directive 8020 is the first chapter in the second season of The Dark Pictures Anthology. Here’s everything we know about our trip to deep space.

Directive 8020, was teased at the end of the last game Dark Pictures game, The Devil in Me. The upcoming entry will be the first chapter of Season 2 of the anthology and will shift the setting to space for a Sci-Fi twist on the survival horror narrative adventure we’re used to from the Supermassive team.

While every chapter of The Anthology is separate from the last in the franchise, they each share similar themes and gameplay mechanics. Here’s everything we know about Directive 8020 so far.

Does Directive 8020 have a release date & confirmed platforms?

No, The Dark Pictures Anthology: Directive 8020 doesn’t have a release date yet. However, the game is set to be released in 2025.

Games in The Dark Pictures Anthology tend to be released around Halloween. Although some were released in late summer with The Devil in Me launching in November 2022. Therefore, we expect that the game to be released during the third or fourth quarter of 2025.

Directive 8020 will be released on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. It will be the first entry in the series to not be released on PS4 and Xbox One.

Trailers

The first look at Directive 8020 was the short cinematic teaser that was revealed after The Devil in Me credits rolled:

The first main trailer was released at Gamescom 2024:

Directive 8020’s 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.

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.

That’s everything we know about The Dark Pictures Anthology: Directive 8020 so far. For more on the latest upcoming games, check out our hubs for Silent Hill 2, Dragon Ball Sparking Zero, Tomb Raider 4, and Dragon Age: The Veilguard.