Bloober Team, the Polish developer known for psychological horror games, has announced , that its next project will be Layers of Fear 3. The announcement came during a 10th-anniversary stream, ending a week-long countdown featuring imagery and audio from William Blake’s poem, “The Sick Rose.” While speculation had centered around a potential remake of the PlayStation 2 title Rules of Rose, Bloober Team CEO Piotr Babieno indicated that the fan theories were inaccurate.
The Layers of Fear franchise began with the original Layers of Fear in , a first-person psychological horror game focused on exploration and puzzle-solving. A sequel, Layers of Fear 2, followed in . In , Bloober Team released an anthology that remade both the original game and its sequel. Layers of Fear 3 represents a continuation of the series, marking the fourth title in the franchise.
Bloober Team has experienced a period of growth and recognition in recent years, particularly following the positive reception of their work on the remake of Silent Hill 2. The company’s success has allowed them to expand their portfolio and explore new projects.
Alongside the announcement of Layers of Fear 3, Bloober Team revealed plans to release several related products. These include a vinyl and CD soundtrack, and a book based on the Layers of Fear universe, authored by Marta Bijan and slated for release in the fall of . These offerings suggest a broader effort to build out the Layers of Fear intellectual property beyond the core game experiences.
Founded in by Piotr Babieno and Piotr Bielatowicz, Bloober Team has become a prominent developer in the horror genre. The company, based in Kraków, Poland, currently employs approximately 250 people. Bloober Team is publicly traded on the Warsaw Stock Exchange and, as of January , Tencent holds a 20% stake in the company, with Piotr Babieno owning 14%.
Bloober Team’s development history includes titles like Observer (), Blair Witch (), and The Medium (). Beyond the Layers of Fear and Silent Hill franchises, the company is also working on a new exclusive title, codenamed “Project M,” for the Nintendo Switch family of consoles. Bloober Team has described Project M as a vision that “could only exist on Nintendo hardware,” suggesting a unique gameplay experience tailored to the platform.
The tagline for Layers of Fear 3, “Some things never leave the walls. They only learn to wait,” is taken directly from the William Blake poem featured in the promotional materials. This suggests a thematic focus on psychological torment and the lingering effects of trauma, consistent with the established tone of the Layers of Fear series. The game’s narrative is expected to continue the franchise’s exploration of the human psyche and the blurring lines between reality and illusion.
While a release date for Layers of Fear 3 has not yet been announced, the game’s unveiling signals Bloober Team’s continued commitment to the psychological horror genre and its established fanbase. The combination of a new installment in a popular franchise, alongside expanded merchandise and a dedicated Nintendo Switch project, positions Bloober Team for continued growth and success in the gaming industry.
