At Gamescom 2025, we were invited by Focus Entertainment to try out John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando, a cooperative shooter developed by Saber Interactive.
And if you’ve somehow never heard of John Carpenter—maybe you’ve been living under a rock—he’s one of the most legendary names in horror cinema, responsible for classics like Halloween, The Fog, and The Thing. His influence is all over Toxic Commando, especially in the group banter and cinematic cutscenes throughout the missions.
The story pays homage to 1980s horror films, which should resonate strongly with fans of titles like Left 4 Dead and Killing Floor. In the game, a scientific experiment goes horribly wrong, unleashing the Sludge God upon Earth. This monstrous entity begins a process of terraforming, threatening all life on the planet.
To clean up the mess, the scientist enlists the help of the Toxic Commandos—battle-hardened mercenaries tasked with stopping the apocalypse.
Toxic Commando Is Surprisingly Satisfying
During my play session, I teamed up with three other members of the press, and we communicated entirely through the in-game voice chat. To my surprise, the chat worked flawlessly—clear audio, no dropouts, and smooth coordination.
In games like this, communication is everything, and having a reliable voice system is a huge win. Our mission dropped us into an open map with the objective of clearing out specific zones. Each Commando has a unique class, and while we couldn’t choose our roles during the demo, one teammate deployed a protective dome, while my character generated a healing aura—each ability felt distinct and useful.
Saber Interactive’s experience with Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is immediately noticeable. At several points, we were swarmed by massive waves of zombies, all powered by Saber’s impressive Swarm Engine. In Toxic Commando, you’ll even be able to use vehicles for traversal and crowd control, adding a layer of mobility and chaos to the action.
Gunplay is another highlight. Weapons feel punchy and responsive, and enemies aren’t bullet sponges—a common pitfall in co-op shooters. The open map design also encourages optional exploration, which becomes essential for survival. With ammo running low and hordes closing in, scavenging becomes a strategic necessity.
Speaking of hordes, enemy variety is solid, mixing standard grunts with elite threats that require more coordination to take down.
The climax of our mission involved defending a structure from three massive waves of zombies. With over 200 enemies on screen and multiple points under attack, tension ran high. Thankfully, we managed to coordinate our class abilities and pull through.
Progression & Monetization
Since the demo focused solely on gameplay, I didn’t get to explore the progression systems. However, a Focus Entertainment representative told me that players will be able to upgrade both their classes and weapons. More details on that will be revealed later.
As for monetization, information was limited. The current plan isn’t to push players into spending real money on cosmetics or similar items. It’s likely Saber Interactive will follow a model similar to Space Marine 2, with a battle pass offering cosmetic rewards.
John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando is set to launch in early 2026 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series, with full crossplay support across all platforms. Based on my experience, it checks all the boxes I look for in a co-op shooter—and I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on it.
If you’ve been missing the chaotic fun of Left 4 Dead or Killing Floor 2, this one should be on your radar too.
For more Gamescom previews, check out our in-depth look at G’AIM’E and Escape from Duckov. Also, don’t forget to share your thoughts about our Gamescom coverage in the Insider Gaming forum.
Ruan está cobrindo a indústria dos games desde 2017, trazendo várias informações sob a ótica do mercado e reviews após o 100%. Quando ele não está escrevendo, está jogando algum…
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