'Its not safe and its not easy, but people are drawn to it anyway': Directive 8020's executive producer on why space was the perfect setting for their long-awaited new horror game

Date:
Mon, 27 Apr 2026 20:00:00 +0000

Description:
Directive 8020 is the first Dark Pictures Anthology game to be set in space, and I spoke to its executive producer about why they wanted to go there.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Directive 8020 is almost here, and the latest Supermassive Games brings a lot to the table. In my preview, I reassured fans that it was well worth the wait when it arrives on May 12, 2026, for PS5 , Xbox Series X |S, and PC.

I also had the opportunity to speak to the game's executive producer Dan McDonald ahead of the anticipated release. It's exciting that this is the first in the Dark Pictures Anthology to be set in space, a new location that presents a whole host of new challenges. McDonald told me that they had
always wanted to have a space-focused horror game. He said, "Game 5 was
always going to go into space. We always knew we were going to go there. We
do something different from the other big franchises. You know, we love
Silent Hill , we love Resident Evil and that kind of thing. Article continues below You may like I played an hour of Supermassive Games' highly anticipated Directive 8020 and fans of Alien: Isolation are going to adore this The
Until Dawn developer's next game, Directive 8020, just got a release date at long last Directive 8020 was 'designed with the PS5 in mind' and will offer 'sharper visuals' powered by PSSR and 'advanced ray tracing' to heighten the horror on PS5 Pro

"And their games are different every time, but they sit on Earth, it's
similar locations and stuff. We get to change it up every time. We've done a ghost ship, we've done witch trials and stuff, weve even done vampires in the desert. But when you look at horror franchises or movies or games, the sci-fi space is huge."

He added, "Obviously, theres games like Alien: Isolation and Dead Space . And we've all been talking about the Alien: Earth TV series, and there's just so many different places we can go. It's really fun and also challenging for the team." (Image credit: Supermassive Games) During our conversation, I noted that space exploration is a weird mix of emotions. It's terrifying but also hopeful, especially since we've just had the Artemis II flyby of the Moon, something that was widely celebrated across the world.

I was curious if balancing those feelings of joy and terror was interesting
in a video game format, especially one as interactive as this. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

McDonald replied, "Oh, yeah, definitely. I'm pretty old now, but one of my first core memories was the Challenger disaster. I think we watched that live at school. I know a lot of schools across the UK had it on. Even just
thinking about it now, its devastating, and that's a real human thing that real people died in.

"Theres human memory of these things going wrong. But like you say, theres hope. I hope we solve current problems and make our planet good, but it isnt going to be easy, and bad stuff is going to happen. Space is dangerous. The spaceship is essentially a tin can with death on the other side of it; its
not safe, and its not easy, but people are drawn to it anyway."

In Directive 8020 , you'll follow the crew of a colony ship called Cassiopeia after it crash-lands on a planet that is 12 light-years away from Earth. The crew is forced out of hypersleep early on their mission to save a dying
Earth, where they're soon up against a terrifying new threat: a shapeshifting creature that can mimic others.

There's a lot of familiarity here, but there's also enough new stuff to make Directive 8020 very engaging. I'm so excited for people to explore the latest chapter in The Dark Pictures Anthology, Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/gaming/its-not-safe-and-its-not-easy-but-people-are- drawn-to-it-anyway-directive-8020s-executive-producer-on-why-space-was-the-per fect-setting-for-their-long-awaited-new-horror-game


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