Ethan Crossfield 
Frictional Games has offered a more revealing look at Ontos, its upcoming science-fiction horror game, during the Opening Night Live presentation. The footage points to a game built around unsettling environmental puzzles, difficult narrative decisions, and imagery designed to test the player’s tolerance for psychological horror. Ontos is planned for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC in 2027, so players interested in Frictional’s next project have a disturbing first impression to consider while waiting.
What changed in the Ontos reveal?
The new gameplay sequence shows an engineer investigating an abandoned hotel on the moon. Rather than presenting the setting as a conventional science-fiction mystery, the footage leans into the kind of oppressive and psychologically disturbing atmosphere associated with Frictional Games’ earlier work, including Amnesia and Soma.
Puzzles appear to be central to the experience, but the game’s challenges are not presented as isolated mechanical obstacles. The story also includes moral choices, with the decisions players make influencing how the narrative concludes. That combination suggests Ontos will use exploration and problem-solving to place players inside its ethical dilemmas rather than simply moving them from one set piece to the next.
Who should pay attention to Ontos?
Ontos is especially relevant to players who enjoy horror that relies on discomfort, mystery, and difficult choices rather than straightforward action. The revealed sequence contains a particularly grim experiment: a human mind has been uploaded to a server composed of living rats. The concept is disturbing on its own, while the accompanying visuals and sound make the moment even more unsettling.
The reveal also confirms that the project has notable voice talent attached. Stellan Skarsgård is part of the lead voice cast, adding another recognizable name to a game already drawing attention because of its developer and unusually bleak premise. However, the available footage does not establish how large his role is or how the cast fits into the wider story.
What comes next for Ontos?
Ontos does not have a more specific release date than 2027. Until Frictional Games provides additional information, prospective players should treat the gameplay reveal as an early demonstration of tone, setting, and core themes rather than a complete overview of the finished game.
The confirmed platforms are PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Those who want to judge the game’s atmosphere for themselves can watch the newly released trailer, though the featured experiment is intentionally graphic and may be uncomfortable for some viewers. More details will be needed before players can assess the full puzzle design, the range of moral choices, or how substantially those decisions alter the ending.
What players should know
- Ontos is a science-fiction horror game from Frictional Games, the studio behind Amnesia and Soma.
- The story follows an engineer exploring an abandoned hotel on the moon.
- Gameplay combines puzzles with moral decisions that shape the outcome.
- The reveal includes a disturbing mind-upload experiment involving a server made from living rats.
- The game is planned for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC sometime in 2027.
- Stellan Skarsgård is part of the lead voice cast.
Expert View
Ontos currently looks most compelling as a psychological horror project with a clear willingness to make players uncomfortable. The moon-based hotel, moral choices, and grotesque experiment give it a distinctive identity, but the reveal is still too limited to judge the depth of its puzzles or the impact of its branching narrative. It is worth watching for fans of Frictional’s previous games, while everyone else should wait for more gameplay and a firm release date before committing.
