Although the E3 season has faded, major game events continue to emerge, and the next one comes from Bandai Namco. The publisher has announced that Little Nightmares III will receive its spotlight presentation on June 24 at 12 PM PDT (3 PM EDT or June 25 at 12:30 AM IST). This standalone showcase surprises many fans, but it’s a welcome opportunity for the eerie platformer to shine.
The sequel to the psychological horror game drops four years following Little Nightmares II (2021) and was originally announced during Gamescom Opening Night Live in August 2023. Initially set for a release window of 2024, the game was officially delayed to 2025 to give it time to be polished. Although a haunting story trailer was released in October 2024, showcasing its eerie visuals and co-op design, there has been no official word since then.
The showcase threatens to dispel lingering uncertainty by potentially showing off an official release date and perhaps even providing a playable demo. Bandai Namco’s decision to provide the game with its showcase instead of hosting it as part of a big event like Summer Games Fest is a sign of something big on the way, as it was widely believed the game would premiere during a Geoff Keighley–hosted showcase.
One of the most significant changes for this entry is the change in the development studio. Tarsier Studios, the developers of the first two games, left the franchise after its acquisition by Embracer Group in 2019. The series is now being taken care of by Supermassive Games, the British developers from Guildford responsible for narrative-driven horror games like Until Dawn, The Dark Pictures Anthology, and The Quarry. Supermassive also developed the improved edition of Little Nightmares II, laying the groundwork for tackling the complete third installment.
Little Nightmares III follows two new protagonists, Low, sporting a raven mask, and Alone, with pigtails, through “The Nowhere” and out of the foreboding Spiral, a series of deformed, hellish worlds. Players will be able to play the game alone with an AI partner or invite a friend online for co-op, a new feature to the franchise. The game will venture into varied and haunting environments from spooky factories and sinister funfairs to open deserts swarming with giant, monstrous beetles and ghostly giants.
Supermassive Games, currently part of Nordisk Film since 2022, employs around 350 people and boasts a rich heritage of developing interactive horror titles. Although seeing one veteran horror studio inherit from another is uncommon, Supermassive’s previous collaboration on Little Nightmares II and their superior record in the genre make them an apt inheritor.