Universal Halloween Horror Nights has spent decades bringing horror movies, television shows, and original nightmares into the real world.
This year, however, one of horror’s most famous killers is taking a very different route.
Sadly, Halloween‘s Michael Myers won’t be part of the 2026 Halloween Horror Nights lineup, despite the character’s previous appearances at the event.
However, fans will soon be able to encounter The Shape from their own homes when Halloween: The Game launches on September 8.
That date is particularly interesting because Halloween Horror Nights 35 begins at Universal Studios Florida on August 28 and continues through November 1. So for almost the entire run of the event, horror fans will have another way to spend their evenings with Michael Myers.
The new game comes from IllFonic, the developer behind Friday the 13th: The Game, and takes its inspiration directly from John Carpenter’s Halloween (1978).
Its main multiplayer mode puts one player behind Michael’s mask while the others take on the Heroes of Haddonfield. Those trying to survive can use weapons and everyday objects, contact the authorities, rescue civilians, and attempt to make it through the night.
There is also a standalone single-player campaign built around “The Night He Came Home,” allowing players to experience the story from Michael’s perspective.
That could make September an interesting month for Universal.
Of course, Halloween Horror Nights remains a completely different experience. This year’s event includes haunted houses based on Sinners, Stranger Things 5, Hellraiser, Evil Dead Burn, and Ozzy Osbourne, along with five original houses, scare zones, live entertainment, food, and merchandise.
But while Universal is asking guests to enter its physical horror worlds, IllFonic is offering fans the opportunity to create their own. And Michael’s absence from HHN makes that contrast even more noticeable. Fans who want to see The Shape at Universal may have to wait for another year, while those who want to control him can do so at home from September 8 onward.
It’s extremely unlikely that a single video game will cause a serious attendance problem for Halloween Horror Nights. The audiences aren’t mutually exclusive, and many horror fans will happily play Halloween: The Game and attend HHN.
Nevertheless, Universal has an unusual overlap on its hands: its Halloween event will be running at the same time that one of its most recognizable horror icons gets a brand-new interactive experience elsewhere.
Could Halloween: The Game tempt some horror fans away from Halloween Horror Nights this year? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
