If you've enjoyed running from Leatherface (or playing as him) in the tense multiplayer survival horror game The Texas Chain Saw Massacre developed by Sumo Nottingham and later Black Tower Studios, you might be saddened to learn that after the next update, there won't be any new content coming to the game.
On May 13, game publisher Gun Interactive shared a post confirming that the game will not receive any further support or content, specifically there will not be anymore "DLC, balance updates, or bug fixes, after our upcoming May patch."
Why this decision? According to the post, the publishers feel that the game has reached its final stages and is now "fully realized."
But if you still enjoy playing the game and aren't ready to say goodbye yet, don't worry. It will still be playable for the foreeable future. Gun Interactive says it is not being delisted and will still be playable. Additional patches will also likely be released in the future as they develop peer-to-peer networking, but that's it.
"As a creative studio, it’s imperative to communicate that we’ve seen this vision through to the natural creative end. We are a scrappy group of horror heads and artists continuously working on bringing cinematic experiences to you all. We appreciate the folks who understand the vision we are bringing to the asymmetrical multiplayer horror space because let’s face it, it may not be for everyone. But those who get it, those who have widened their gaming circles to play The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, those who have reveled in the terror, horror, and beauty of this world with their friends keep us motivated and ready to continue to do what we do best… make your favorite horror games. We wouldn’t have it any other way."
Released on Xbox Game Pass on launch day in 2023, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre became an immediate hit, reportedly hitting 1 million players within its first 24 hours online.
The main mode is set in April 1973, just months before the events of Tobe Hooper's classic 1974 film. Gamers can choose to play one of the murderous Slaughter family members or one of the victims—a group of college students led by a character named Ana who is searching for her sister. The game featured Kane Hodder as Leatherface along with motion capture performances from Halloween star Scout Taylor-Compton. Skeet Ulrich (Scream) and Bill Moseley (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2) also voiced characters.
It seems like it's challenging for developers and publishers to maintain these horror games over long periods of time. Previous asymmetric survival horror games like Evil Dead: The Game and Friday the 13th: The Game didn't last long before support ended. Evil Dead was eventually delisted from storefronts, though it's technically still playable, similarly the servers for the Friday the 13th game shut down in December 2024.
Dead by Daylight remains the go-to game for the multiplayer survival horror gaming experience/ Approaching its ninth anniversary, the game shows no signs of slowing down, recently announcing the addition of Springtrap from Five Nights at Freddy's this June.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is available to play on the following: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Sbox Series X/S.