[UPDATE: Gun Media has addressed concerns about Dead Alliance. Read their comments about the project and how it impacts Friday the 13th.]
The saying goes that all press is good press, but in the case of Friday the 13th: The Game, most of the buzz in the breaking news cycle has been less-than-pleasant. Fans of the survival horror title have rallied for developer Illfonic to address the many issues they’ve faced when playing - including functioning perks, disconnect troubles, and various glitches - and have voiced the need for an Xbox One patch to bring that version of the game up to speed with the others. In a revelation that adds more chaos to the mix, fans have learned that Illfonic is working on another game, despite claiming to be focusing on Friday the 13th.
On the official Friday the 13th forums, a user by the moniker weirdkid5 let other players know of a game titled Dead Alliance, developed by Illfonic and set for release in late August. Dead Alliance, which already touts a sleek website and has received an exclusive announcement trailer, has been described as an “inventive take on zombie games and team-based first-person shooters,” according to the game’s synopsis.
While this is by no means brand-new information, as Dead Alliance was slyly announced in May of this year, the game has definitely slipped under most fans’ radar. But most didn’t know that Illfonic was behind it. Now that it’s been brought to the forefront of the Friday the 13th and Illfonic fan communities, people aren’t pleased.
Most of fans’ outrage at Illfonic’s stems from a few places, all of which are connected to Friday the 13th. The first is that the developer currently has strong ties to Friday the 13th, the second is that a multitude of technical and gameplay woes in the title need to be (but haven’t been) addressed, and the third is that the team behind Friday the 13th has time and again stated it’s only focusing on the popular horror game.
“I understand that it’s Illfonic working on it, but aren’t they the backbone for [Friday the 13th]?” one user wrote on the game’s forums. “In the state the game is in, I expected all hands to be on deck for fixes. Not making a zombie survival shooter. Like there’s already not enough of those on the market.”
Another expressed similar anger: “Illfonic were the ones who developed F13. It was published by Gun Media. So now the devs of [Friday the 13th] are just working on a completely separate game?” One fan speculated that Illfonic’s work on Dead Alliance is exactly the reason why Friday the 13th has been riddled with issues. “I saw announcements for this game a long time ago. I didn’t know it was Illfonic,” they wrote. “Could this be the reason why the current game feels like a d*** beta?”
Amidst the disappointment and disbelief of Friday the 13th fans that Illfonic is working on another title, some comfort can be found. The game’s dev previously released a statement on Twitter that an Xbox One patch for Friday the 13th is coming very soon, and that the studio’s focus on that fix is to blame for the lack of communication regarding updates. Additionally, remarks from the Friday the 13th Twitter account that talked of a “sole focus” on the game may have been on behalf of publisher Gun Media and not developer Illfonic.
Whatever the case may be, it’s clear to see that Friday the 13th fans want a bit more from Illfonic. It also appears that while the developer is splitting its time between two games, things can be smooth sailing if each is adequately addressed and taken care of. Hopefully the developer can deliver on its promises to Friday the 13th fans and have a successful Dead Alliance launch in the near future.
Friday the 13th is available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Dead Alliance is set for a beta release on July 27, followed by a full release on August 29 for PS4, Steam Play, and Xbox One.
Source: Friday the 13th Forums
