From the game’s initial conception as Slasher Vol. 1: Summer Camp, development of Friday the 13th: The Game has been spearheaded for the last four years by IllFonic. That being said, they will no longer be working on the game starting today. Publisher Gun Media has announced that IllFonic “has completed all contracted work,” so they will be moving on to new projects.
Fortunately, the game will still be supported by Gun Media as well as Tokyo-based developer Black Tower Games. The team at Black Tower Games previously worked on iOS title Archangel and PS3 game Magus, but have mainly assisted with AAA game development recently. They have experience working on Friday the 13th: The Game as well, as they helped IllFonic craft the Jarvis House and Pinehurst maps.
While Friday the 13th: The Game has its dedicated fans, it has had a rough time since launch. The game was fairly buggy at release, so IllFonic and Gun Media had to work hard to ensure the game was patched up in addition to delivering the promised single-player mode as well as new content. While the game was updated consistently for a year after launch, a lawsuit regarding who owned the rights and authorship of the Friday the 13th IP caused them to halt all development on new content for the game.
Since that happened in June, IllFonic had been working on fixing the remaining bugs and improving the multiplayer experience with dedicated servers. According to Gun Media, those duties have been fulfilled, which is why IllFonic is leaving the project. At this point in development, Black Tower Games will be in charge of implementing further bug fixes as well as trying to improve the overall player experience.
DualShockers will be sure to let you know if current plans regarding new content for the game change. Friday the 13th: The Game is currently available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.