John Carpenter’s Toxic Commandos is officially locked in for March 12, 2026, and the latest gameplay trailer makes one thing crystal clear: this game is here to be loud, messy, and unapologetically fun. If you’ve ever wanted to play through a grindhouse horror movie drenched in neon sludge and over-the-top action, this might be your new obsession.
Set in the near future, the game kicks off with a science experiment gone horribly wrong. An attempt to tap into the Earth’s core accidentally unleashes the Sludge God. This eldritch nightmare begins terraforming the land, corrupting the environment, and turning people into grotesque undead monsters. Naturally, the scientist responsible needs a team to clean up the mess. Unfortunately for him, competent professionals are expensive… so instead, he hires the Toxic Commandos.
Gameplay: Co-Op Carnage With Carpenter Flair
Gameplay-wise, Toxic Commandos leans hard into co-op shooter chaos. The new trailer showcases fast-paced, first-person action built around teamwork, ridiculous weapons, and constant enemy pressure. You’re not creeping through corridors or conserving ammo. You’re blasting through hordes of sludge-infested monstrosities with friends, cracking jokes, and barely holding things together.
Each mission throws players into sprawling, slime-covered environments where positioning, coordination, and knowing when to push or pull back actually matter. Enemy types vary wildly, forcing squads to adapt on the fly while the battlefield itself feels alive and hostile. It’s messy in the best way possible.
Style, Tone, and That John Carpenter Touch
What really separates Toxic Commandos from other co-op shooters is its tone. This isn’t grimdark horror. It’s self-aware, B-movie madness, dripping with personality. From the creature designs to the soundtrack vibes, everything screams Carpenter-inspired sci-fi horror, blending absurdity with tension and action.
The game knows exactly what it is and fully commits. That confidence shows in the exaggerated visuals, punchy combat feedback, and the sheer joy of surviving absolute nonsense with your squad.
Why Toxic Commandos Is One to Watch
With its blend of horror, humor, and cooperative mayhem, John Carpenter’s Toxic Commandos looks like a love letter to cult sci-fi and action fans. If the final release sticks the landing, this could easily become one of those go-to co-op games you boot up just to have a good time with friends.
March 12, 2026 can’t come soon enough.