John Carpenter’s name has never stood for subtlety, and John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando looks determined to live up to that legacy. Drawing directly from the filmmaker’s most unhinged nightmares, the upcoming first-person shooter has locked in its release date, promising an explosion of blood-soaked co-op action and retro-horror excess in spring 2026.

Publisher Focus Entertainment and developer Saber Interactive confirmed that John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando will launch on March 12, 2026, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series consoles, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store. The game will be available in Standard and Blood Editions, with all pre-orders including Leon’s Secret Stash downloadable content at no extra cost.

The Blood Edition expands the package with two post-launch DLC packs, featuring unique cosmetic skins for characters, weapons, and vehicles. Players will also receive a Gold Color Cosmetic Pack for weapons, a weapon charm, and one additional skin for each playable character.

The game is powered by Saber’s Swarm Engine, previously used in World War Z: Aftermath and Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II. This technology enables massive enemy hordes and imposing boss encounters, whether players are on foot or behind the wheel, all with full cross-platform cooperative play.

Set in the near future, the story begins with a catastrophic attempt to tap into the Earth’s core as an unlimited energy source. The experiment turns soil into toxic sludge and the living into undead monsters. With elite mercenaries deemed too expensive, the mastermind behind the project turns to a cheaper and far messier solution: the Toxic Commando.

Designed for four-player co-op with full cross-play support across PC and consoles, the game lets players choose their character and class, jump into their favorite vehicle, and unleash gunfire, grenades, special abilities, and freaking katanas against endless waves of abominations. Progression, skill upgrades, and increasingly punishing challenges drive the experience, all in service of saving the planet against impossible odds. Then now’s your time to go commando!

Inspired by classic 1980s action and horror cinema, Toxic Commando blends buddy-movie energy, over-the-top humor, and visceral first-person shooter combat into an unapologetically chaotic apocalypse.

Source: Gematsu