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Ice-Pick Lodge Takes the Reins for Darkwood 2
Hooded Horse has officially unveiled Darkwood 2, the long-awaited sequel to Acid Wizard Studio’s cult survival horror title. Revealed during the ID@Xbox Fall 2025 Showcase, the game is being developed by the visionary team behind Pathologic, Ice-Pick Lodge, in close consultation with the original Darkwood creators.
A New Kind of Terror
Set several years after the events of the first game, Darkwood 2 transports players to the scorched deserts of a dying sea, which is a stark departure from the oppressive forests of the original. Players will once again scavenge by day and fortify by night, balancing resource management, exploration, and the dread of what emerges in the darkness.
The sequel expands Darkwood’s signature formula with new biomes, creatures, and narrative choices, all while maintaining the tension and ambiguity that defined its predecessor. Players will traverse deserts, marshes, and sunken waterways without quest markers or clear guidance, relying solely on instinct and survival wit.
As the corruption of the forest begins to spread once more, players must confront an impossible question: Is it better to remain human, or surrender to the transformation?
Collaboration Between Horror Visionaries
This sequel marks a rare creative handover, with Acid Wizard entrusting their universe to Ice-Pick Lodge, a studio renowned for its unsettling storytelling and psychological design.
“The original Darkwood is a unique experience in horror — mixing resource management and strategic survival into a rarely used top-down format,” said Hooded Horse CEO Tim Bender. “We’re honoured to be part of the sequel and to be working with such a visionary team.”
“After Darkwood, we thought no one else could ever touch it,” added Acid Wizard co-founder Gustaw Stachaszewski. “But Ice-Pick Lodge are creators we’ve admired for years — they understand what makes Darkwood special. We’ll remain involved to ensure it stays true to its spirit.”
Alexander Souslov, Executive Producer at Ice-Pick Lodge, added: “When studios with different philosophies come together, magic can happen. Hooded Horse’s strategy expertise and our focus on narrative and semiotic design make for a collaboration that feels both daring and natural.”
Like its predecessor, Darkwood 2 will feature non-linear exploration, crafting, and base defence, but now on a much larger scale. Ice-Pick Lodge promises that every encounter and every night survived will shape the story in subtle ways, creating a sense of paranoia and discovery that mirrors the best psychological horror.
Coming to PC and Game Pass
Darkwood 2 will launch on PC via Steam and the Microsoft Store, and will be available day one on Game Pass. It will feature full localisation in over 15 languages, including Polish, Russian, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.
No release date has been announced yet, but based on what was shown and what we know, Darkwood 2 looks set to deliver a haunting continuation of one of indie horror’s most distinctive worlds.
