Bloober Team, riding high on the positive reception of their Silent Hill 2 remake, is determined to prove their recent success wasn't a fluke. Their next project aims to solidify their position in the horror genre.

Bloober Team's Path to Redemption

Building on Success

The overwhelmingly positive response to the Silent Hill 2 remake has been a significant boost for Bloober Team. Despite the considerable changes from the original, the remake garnered praise from both critics and fans. However, the team acknowledges the initial skepticism surrounding their involvement and is using this opportunity to demonstrate their capabilities beyond a single successful title.

At the Xbox Partner Preview on October 16th, Bloober Team unveiled their upcoming horror title, Cronos: The New Dawn. Game Designer Wojciech Piejko emphasized a departure from their Silent Hill 2 work, stating in a Gamespot interview, "We don't want to make a similar game." Development on Cronos began in 2021, shortly after The Medium's release.

Director Jacek Zieba described Cronos: The New Dawn as their "second punch" in a two-hit combo, with the Silent Hill 2 remake being the "first." He highlighted the initial doubt surrounding Bloober Team's ability to handle such a significant project, given their lack of prior experience with survival horror.

Zieba commented on the honor of working on Silent Hill, stating, "Nobody believed we could deliver, and we delivered." The team's dedication and the resulting 86 Metacritic score underscore their achievement. Piejko added, "They made the impossible possible, and it was a bumpy road because of all the hate on the internet. The pressure was big on them, and they delivered."

Bloober Team 3.0: Evolution and Growth

Piejko views Cronos: The New Dawn, featuring a time-traveling protagonist navigating a pandemic-ravaged future, as a testament to their ability to create compelling original IPs. The team leveraged the experience gained from the Silent Hill 2 remake to enhance gameplay elements compared to their previous titles like Layers of Fear and Observer. Zieba noted that the foundation for Cronos was laid during the Silent Hill project.

Bloober Team considers the Silent Hill 2 remake a pivotal moment, marking their evolution into "Bloober Team 3.0." Encouraged by the positive reception of both the Cronos reveal and the Silent Hill 2 remake, they are confident in their future. Zieba expressed the studio's desire to establish a strong identity within the horror genre, stating, "We want to find our niche, and we think we found our niche, so now we just--let's evolve with it." Piejko added, "We gathered a team that loves horror...and we don't want to [switch genres]."