P.O.N. Reverses Batman’s Predator Encounters for Co-Op Horror

First-person co-op horror has become one of the most visible multiplayer formats of the 2020s, usually sending teams into dangerous locations to complete a job and escape. P.O.N. applies that structure from an unusual angle: players are criminals carrying out a theft while a superpowered hunter tracks them from the shadows. The upcoming Steam title effectively asks what a Batman: Arkham predator encounter would feel like from the criminals’ side.

A Heist Where the Players Are the Prey

P.O.N. comes from Team VAC, a new indie developer that has been working on the project as a two-person team since July 2025. The game is entirely first-person and supports up to four players in co-op. Its cast consists of members of an organized criminal group that accepts jobs through the dark web.

The team’s major assignment involves stealing a set of highly specific supplies, but the operation becomes far more dangerous when a superhero-like figure enters the scene. Rather than controlling the powerful character, players must coordinate the theft while trying not to become his next target. Stealth is the preferred answer, although the game’s premise also leaves room for frantic escapes when hiding fails.

P.O.N. Flips the Arkham Formula

Batman: Arkham’s predator sequences are built around an unseen threat isolating armed enemies one by one. P.O.N. reverses that power balance. The criminals know they are being hunted, but they do not have Batman’s tools, control, or confidence. That shift could make familiar stealth design feel considerably more stressful in a multiplayer setting.

Team VAC says the antagonist is driven by an advanced artificial intelligence system that observes player behavior and chooses ways to catch them off guard. The goal is not simply to place a scripted monster in a level, but to create a threat capable of reacting to the group’s decisions. Whether that produces consistently tense encounters will depend on how varied and readable those responses are once players can test the game.

Release Plans Remain Unclear

P.O.N. was announced by indie publisher Spaghetti Cat in June 2026 and is currently listed as coming soon on Steam. Its original target was the first quarter of 2026, meaning the game has already moved beyond that window without receiving a confirmed release date. Promotional material suggests an early access launch is possible, although neither the material nor the current Steam page confirms that plan.

The game is planned as a PC exclusive at launch. Team VAC has said it will consider console versions later, but no console release has been announced. SteamDB data places P.O.N. among the platform’s most-wishlisted upcoming co-op horror games and ranks it 54th overall as of September 22, 2026, between Haunted Paws and Clockwork Revolution.

Key points

• P.O.N. is a first-person co-op horror game for up to four players.
• Players are criminals attempting a dark-web theft while a superpowered hunter stalks them.
• The game is listed as coming soon on Steam after missing its Q1 2026 target.
• It is planned for PC first, with console versions only under consideration.

P.O.N. at a glance

Expert View

P.O.N. is notable less for expanding the co-op horror formula than for changing its power fantasy. The criminals’ perspective could give the game a sharper identity in a crowded Steam market, especially if its adaptive hunter creates encounters that feel different across teams. Its wishlist position suggests early interest, but the delayed launch and unclear early access plan mean the project still needs to demonstrate that its central idea works beyond promotional comparisons.