The Ghostbusters property looks to be making a resurgence on the big screen, with GhostBusters: Afterlife finally coming out next month. This same resurgence is seemingly going to extend to video games, too. A new Ghostbusters game is supposedly in development by IllFonic, the developers behind the recent Predator: Hunting Grounds, and 2017's Friday the 13th: The Game.
As of right now, IllFonic is gearing up to release its next major title, Arcadegeddon, which has been in early access since July 2021. Like IllFonic's previous titles, Arcadegeddon is a multiplayer-focused adventure that sees a group of friends team up against a powerful enemy. With the developer's previous works in mind, one has to wonder how IllFonic will tackle a traditionally narrative-focused franchise such as Ghostbusters.
During an episode of the Questlove Supreme podcast, Raphael Saadiq, IllFonic's co-founder, casually mentioned that the studio is working on a new Ghostbusters videogame. When asked how many games the studio has released, Raphael replied: "Friday the 13th, the last one, and Predator, and we're working on Ghostbusters right now and Arcadegeddon is out right now." Unfortunately, no other relevant information about Ghostbusters was shared.
The namedrop of Ghostbusters is an interesting but not completely unexpected one from IllFonic. The developers have had their hand on Friday the 13th: The Game and Predator: Hunting Grounds, both horror movie franchises just like Ghostbusters. Illfonic is still hard at work on Arcadegeddon, which is currently in early access. It's not known whether or not Ghostbusters is still in the early stages of development or if fans can hope to see it sometime in 2022. After all, it was unannounced until now, so it's more than likely that the game won't come out for some time.
The last console Ghostbusters game outside of Ghostbusters: The Video Game's remaster in 2019 was 2016's critically panned Ghostbusters. Still, IllFonic has found some success in Friday the 13th and Predator: Hunting Ground. Both titles scored mixed reviews but have found some fans after content patches. On the surface, the idea of IllFonic tackling Ghostbusters may be worrying to some. Apart from the mixed reviews for its past titles, both Friday the 13th and Predator: Hunting Ground are multiplayer-focused. While the idea of joining together to fight against ghosts is appealing, a Ghostbusters game with a solid campaign is also important. From IllFonic's two previous titles, it doesn't seem like this game will end up getting that.
With that said, it's still far too early to tell how the Ghostbusters game will play out. It's possible a campaign will be included, so Ghostbusters fans should not worry until it is confirmed not to have one. Further, from what has been shown so far, IllFonic's Arcadegeddon looks like it could potentially be a hit with critics and fans alike - meaning that the studio could deliver a solid Ghostbusters experience.
Source: Questlove Supreme