The 70s and 80s were the decade of slasher films. From the morbidly realistic Texas Chainsaw Massacre, to the supernatural A Nightmare on Elm Street – there was a murderous psycho for everyone. Although only some of the evil characters from that era survived the test of time (with their pride intact, for the most part), one machete-wielding brute was able to transcend the medium of film altogether.
Jason Voorhees from the Friday the 13th franchise is perhaps the first character that comes to mind when discussing the slasher genre. However, recently, Jason has also become the main star of his own game, which is beloved by both gamers and horror fans alike. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, as the developers of the game, IllFonic, told players online that their creation will go offline permanently at the end of the year due to rights issues.
— Friday The 13th Game (@Friday13thGame) June 8, 2023
To the uninitiated, Friday the 13th: The Game is an asymmetrical multiplayer game where two or more factions have different objectives and gameplay mechanics. Here, you have a chance to play as Jason himself, or as the campers trying to flee him. Though games such as Dead by Daylight and Evil Dead are far more polished and less buggy, Friday the 13th: The Game is still widely loved by its player base.
Unfortunately, the players were not enough to save it, as IllFonic announced that, due to issues with the game’s licensing agreement, they were forced to close down and will be pulled from all marketplaces on 31st December, 2023. Afterwards, all the game servers will be terminated sometime in the following year, but the developers stated that the game will continue to function through at least 31st December, 2024. Normally, this wouldn’t be a problem, but smaller companies like IllFonic cannot pay for the renewal of the iconic character’s license, despite the large size of their player base, resulting in the game’s untimely demise.
To help reduce the dependence on database servers, the following changes will be made for all players on Thursday, July 6th. pic.twitter.com/pd9pt36kdy
— Friday The 13th Game (@Friday13thGame) July 3, 2023
However, in light of this news, IllFonic has decided to make the last few days of the game memorable by posting a public message on their Twitter page, announcing that all unlockable perks will be free for all players, excluding those that need to be purchased in DLCs. Thanks to this generosity, players may finally enjoy the game’s last moments before it takes its final bow.
Unfortunately, no specific dates were given for when the servers for the game would officially shut down. Friday the 13th: The Game will be on permanent discount, for only RM13.99, alongside its numerous DLCs for you to try out, and it will still be playable until 31st December, 2024. If your game has been sitting somewhere in your library, it may be time to fire it up one last time before saying goodbye.
