Supermassive Games has announced Directive 8020 will launch on May 12 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam. The latest entry in the Dark Pictures Anthology series was originally slated for October 2025 but faced delays amid studio layoffs. The sci-fi survival horror game follows a spaceship crew crash-landed on an alien world, hunted by a lifeform that can mimic its prey.

Drawing clear inspiration from The Thing, players must navigate moral dilemmas where saving crewmates could endanger Earth itself. As with Supermassive's previous titles like Until Dawn and The Quarry, Directive 8020 centers on narrative choices that shape the story. Players face critical decisions such as whether to save a crewmate at personal risk or abandon them, and must distinguish between identical versions of characters.

The game introduces a new Turning Points feature allowing players to revisit previous decisions and explore alternative paths—useful for seeing different endings or unlocking achievements. For purists, a permadeath mode removes this safety net for a traditional survival horror experience. The game supports solo play and five-player local co-op, with online multiplayer planned for later release.