Polish development studioBloober Teamhas established a reputation for intriguing, innovative horror titles that emphasize narrative and atmosphere over action and combat. From the gorgeous, grotesqueLayers of Fearin 2016 to the poignantThe Mediumin 2021,Bloober Teamtitles have a unique, almost auteur flair that helps them stand apart from their contemporaries. Though the developer typically dabbles in proprietary properties, it recently released a game based on theBlair Witch Projectmovie series, but, according to Bloober Team CEO Piotr Babieno, various other horror franchises were considered.
In a recent interview with IGN, Babieno confirms that Lionsgate approached Bloober Team and asked it to develop a title based on any of its horror properties. Lionsgate owns a few notable horror franchises, many of which have never received any sort of video game adaptation. For instance,Hellraiser’sDead By Daylighttie-inwas that series’ most notable gaming outing, andChildren of the Corn, despite its many sequels, never saw a single video game adaptation.
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Ultimately, Bloober Team opted to go withThe Blair Witch Projectbecause it believed that the IP presented an opportunity to “build something new.” However, before the decision was set in stone, Babieno insinuates thatSawwas briefly considered. With pervasive themes of guilt and atonement and a relatively narrow scope,Layers of Fearfeels as if it could fairly easily have been converted into a title based on theSawproperty. But with the prospect of working with a viral horror hitso infamously scary that Stephen King couldn’t finish itin a single viewing, Bloober Team settled upon the more ambitious but less-recognizedBlair Witchfranchise.
When it first debuted, 2019’sBlair Witchwas met with mixed reviews owing to performance issues, but public opinion improved as time went on, and the title’s Steam page now boasts a mostly positive aggregate rating from gamers. Of course, this was hardly the firstBlair Witch Projectinstallment to be met with initial disapproval. The sequel to the original movie, 2000’sBook of Shadows: Blair Witch 2was met with almost universal disapproval, and even the 2016Blair Witchpseudo-remake established a notoriously negative reputation.
Bloober Team seems to have its hands full as of late. Babieno suggests that the studio has received multiple offers from movie studios to adapt other properties, but it’s had to turn them down in favor of hitherto undisclosed projects. Many speculate that Bloober Team is currently working with Konami on some kind ofSilent Hillreboot, with some under the impression that it may be a full-onremaster of the PlayStation 2 classicSilent Hill 2.
