Where to get it

2026 · Adventure · Shooter

John Carpenter's Toxic Commando

Take control of one of the commandos, team up with your friends and send the Sludge God and its horde of things-that-should-never-be back to the underworld. Choose the class that matches your playstyle, pile into your favorite ride, and unload an array of gunfire, grenades, special abilities, and freaking katanas as you save the planet.

Released: 12 March 2026
Platforms: PlayStation 5 Windows Xbox Series X/S
Genres: Adventure Shooter
Developers: —
Publishers: —
Perspective: First person
Themes: Action Horror
Age ratings: ESRB M
Languages: Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Czech, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian and 4 more

About

John Carpenter's Toxic Commando is a 2026 first-person shooter developed by Saber Interactive and published by Focus Entertainment. The game was released on March 12, 2026 for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S.

›Story

In the near future, an experimental attempt to harness the power of the Earth’s core ends in a terrifying disaster: the release of the Sludge God. This eldritch abomination begins terraforming the area, turning soil to scum and the living to undead monsters. Luckily, the genius behind the experiment has a plan to make things right. All he needs is a team of competent, highly trained mercenaries to get the job done.

… Unfortunately, they were all too expensive. Which is why he’s hired… The Toxic Commandos.

Players say

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Story

Set in the near future, a scientific experiment to harness the energy of the Earth's core goes haywire when it accidentally releases an entity called the Sludge God. It soon begins to turn the soil into scum and mankind into zombies. However, the scientists behind the experiment come up with a plan to stop the Sludge God, by hiring a team of mercenaries to eliminate the zombies and save the world.

Development

During Summer Game Fest in June 2023, it was announced that John Carpenter was collaborating with Focus Entertainment and Saber Interactive for the game's development. Carpenter worked on the game's story and also composed its musical score. The game supports both multiplayer and single-player. In a recent interview, Saber Interactive Chief Creative Officer Tim Willits said his favourite way to play the game is with two friends and an AI bot, "because that one bot will always revive me, because you know your friends are never going to…", pointing towards a real need for cohesive teamwork in the zombie shooter.

Reception

Samantha Nelson of Polygon gave the game a positive preview, writing "I found all the game's controls intuitive and swapping between the many weapons was highly satisfying, leaving me eager to try more along with experimenting with other classes". Luke Addison of The Thumb Wars also gave a positive review, summarizing that "it's as mental and over-the-top as it sounds and should be".

It was a profitable project for Saber Interactive but its overall sales were disappointing for Focus Entertainment.