Halloween Horror Nights is back and as terrifying as ever—but something’s missing. Longtime fans can feel it, even if they can’t quite put their finger on it at first. The scares are still top-notch, the atmosphere still thick with fog and screams, but a certain familiar terror hasn’t made an appearance… at least not yet.
Haunted Houses That Favor the New Over the Classic
Let’s start with what we know: Universal has confirmed ten haunted houses for this year’s event, and nine have already been revealed. You’ll find a lot to love if you’re a fan of big-name franchises and fresh nightmares. But you might be disappointed if you’re looking for Dracula or Frankenstein.
Here’s the current house lineup:
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Fallout – Inspired by the hit video game and Prime Video series, this house drops guests into Vault 33 and the surrounding radioactive wasteland.
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Jason Universe – A blood-soaked trip through the twisted legacy of Friday the 13th.
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Terrifier – Art the Clown returns with his brand of chaotic, gory horror.
- El Artista: A Spanish Haunting
- Dolls: Let’s Play Dead
- Gálkn: Monsters of the North
- Grave of Flesh
- Hatchet and Chains: Demon Bounty Hunters
That leaves two houses unannounced. And so far? Not a single Universal Monster in sight.
Even Five Nights at Freddy’s, though confirmed to appear in some form this year, hasn’t officially been listed as a haunted house. Universal is teasing it as “a whole new way” to bring the popular franchise to life, which has some fans curious, but also a bit confused.
Scare Zones Get Creative—But Stay Modern
Outside the houses, Universal usually experiments with theme and setting in the scare zones. This year is no exception. The zones are rich with detail and original storytelling, but also missing something… old.
Here’s a glimpse at what’s creeping through the streets:
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Mutations: Toxic Twenties
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Masquerade: Dance with Death
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The Origins of Horror
- The Cat Lady of Crooked Lane
It’s creative and impressive. But where have we grown to expect the werewolves, vampires, and mummies? So far, there’s been no sign of the Universal Monster family—not even as a roaming horde.
What Happened to Universal’s Icons?
Here’s the strange part: Universal Monsters have been a staple at Halloween Horror Nights for years. Whether it was Bride of Frankenstein Lives, Monsters: Unmasked, or Eternal Bloodlines, they’ve always had some kind of dedicated space—either in the form of a haunted house or a scare zone.
But now, with eight houses revealed and all scare zones accounted for, their absence is starting to feel very intentional.
It could mean one of a few things:
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The final house might still feature the classic monsters in some way.
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Universal could be planning a surprise appearance—possibly in a non-announced roaming scare zone.
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Or, they might just be stepping away from the vintage monsters entirely in favor of trending IPs and new horror styles.
Is This the End of the Monster Era?
There’s no doubt this year’s event is stacked with horror heavyweights. Fallout, Terrifier, and Friday the 13th are all huge names, and the original houses sound legitimately terrifying.
But for fans of the Universal Monsters—the icons who started it all—their absence is unsettling in a different way.
Whether they make a last-minute return or sit this year out entirely, one thing’s clear: Halloween Horror Nights is changing. And if the classics don’t return soon… they might stay buried for good.
