B-Movie Bliss: Toxic Commando Promises a Cheesy, Over-the-Top Power Fantasy, and I’m Here for It

At a time when many games are striving for hyper-realism and grim, serious narratives, there’s a certain charm in a game that knows exactly what it is and leans into it with reckless abandon. At Gamescom 2025’s Opening Night Live, developer Saber Interactive and publisher Focus Entertainment provided an explosive new look at their upcoming co-op shooter, John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando. The game, which is slated for an early 2026 release, is a love letter to the over-the-top, low-budget, and gloriously cheesy B-movies of the 1980s. With its over-the-top humor, a mountain of gore, and a powerful engine that can render thousands of enemies on screen, Toxic Commando is not just another zombie game; it’s a ridiculous, cathartic power fantasy, and it’s exactly the kind of unpretentious fun the industry needs.

The game’s premise is as B-movie as it gets: an experimental attempt to harness the power of the Earth’s core goes terribly wrong, releasing an eldritch horror known as the “Sludge God” and turning the living into mutated, undead monsters. The genius behind the experiment needs a team of highly-trained mercenaries to fix his mistake. The problem? They’re all too expensive. So, he hires the titular “Toxic Commandos,” a group of highly unqualified but highly enthusiastic individuals who are ready to take on the apocalypse. This kind of buddy-movie humor and self-awareness is what sets the game apart and makes it so much more than a simple horde shooter.

More than Just Another Horde Shooter

While the genre is crowded with zombie games, Toxic Commando has a few tricks up its sleeve that make it a compelling and unique experience. First and foremost is the technology behind the game. Powered by Saber’s “Swarm Engine,” the same technology that powered the massive hordes in World War Z and Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, the game is capable of rendering thousands of enemies on screen at once. The Gamescom gameplay trailer showcased this in all its glory, with a relentless wave of enemies that moved in a terrifying and organic way. The sheer scale of the action is something that few other games can replicate, and it’s a major reason to be excited about the game. It’s a literal swarm, and it looks like a blast to mow through with a team of friends.

The game also features a unique blend of on-foot and vehicular combat. Players will be able to hop into a variety of heavily armed vehicles, including buggies and heavily armored trucks, and tear through hordes of enemies in a blaze of glory. This adds a new layer of chaotic fun and tactical variety to the game, as players will have to decide when to get out and fight on foot and when to simply run over a horde of mutants. The inclusion of these vehicles is a fantastic nod to the action-packed films of the ’80s and is a core part of the game’s “power fantasy” appeal. The game is also being developed with the input of legendary horror director John Carpenter, who has a well-known love for video games. His involvement lends a sense of authenticity and a touch of the macabre to the proceedings, and his witty commentary in the trailers has already become a fan-favorite.

The Perfect Tonic for a Grim World

With its vibrant, neon-soaked aesthetic, its over-the-top humor, and its unapologetic commitment to pure, unadulterated fun, Toxic Commando is a refreshing and much-needed addition to the gaming landscape. It’s a game that doesn’t take itself too seriously and is more interested in providing a fun and cathartic experience than a deep and meaningful one. The game is a perfect co-op experience, one that is designed to be enjoyed with a group of friends who want to blow up some ghouls and have a good laugh. With its early 2026 release date, the game is poised to be a major hit and a welcome return to a bygone era of video games that were all about having a good time.