New extraction FPS creates a DBD-style 'horrorverse' of Cthulhu and creepypasta

Every genre needs innovators and iterators to tear up the rulebook and create a new baseline for future devs to build upon. However, it's far easier to play it safe, especially when there are millions of dollars on the line in triple-A companies. That's why I'm glad that Grey State Studio (formerly known as Aurora Studio), a subsidiary of Tencent Games, is changing up the FPS game scene with a Lovecraftian extraction shooter. Rules of Engagement The Grey State promises everything we love about Escape From Tarkov and Hunt: Showdown, but combines it with a Dead by Daylight-style approach to Cthulhu horror.

Yes, I know that there have been Lovecraftian games before. Some of them even give you a gun. Death Stranding is a notable example, but you could hardly call Kojima's excellent postman simulator a shooter, even if you have weapons at your disposal. But no FPS, extraction based or not, has fully embraced the unknowable terror of H.P. Lovecraft's work.

That is, until now. Rules of Engagement The Grey State promises intense action, haunting monsters, and deep RPG mechanics as you upgrade your Strider, an elite operative tasked with figuring out the mysteries within the Grey State. The eponymous location is a closely guarded military secret, an unstable dimension that feels reminiscent of Jeff VanderMeer's Shimmer. But instead of climbing lighthouses both vertical and subterranean, you'll battle horrible monstrosities and discover alien artifacts as you work your way to the extraction zone in each PvPvE match.

However, there's another twist in the tale. Grey State Studio has dubbed this a 'horrorverse,' a dimension "populated by creatures inspired by iconic monsters from horror movies, novels, and modern internet creepypasta." Now if there's one thing I don't want to meet in a secret, unstable location, it's Jeff the Killer or Eyeless Jack.

It's an interesting idea, and could go either way depending on the execution. On the one hand, encountering Slenderman in a dark forest or seeing the aftermath of the Russian Sleep Experiment in an abandoned Soviet bunker could be properly chilling, but if the crossovers go too far it can ruin your immersion and dissipate any spooky vibes the developer was trying to create. It's an approach that Dead by Daylight has adopted and mastered, regularly delivering crossovers that delight horror fans, rather than crowbarring totally unrelated IPs in.

There's a fine line between a creepy ambience reimagining famous horror creatures and becoming the videogame equivalent of the Leonardo di Caprio pointing at the screen meme. I'm intrigued to see what side of the line Rules of Engagement: The Grey State lands on.

An upcoming alpha test will show off four classes, including Pyro, Phantom, Sledge, and a secret fourth class to be revealed at a later date, says the developer. With the three revealed classes opting for flamethrowers, stealth, and sledgehammers respectively, I imagine there's a gap for a proton pack. Or a healer, if you want to be boring. But mostly I'm interested in getting my hands on the game full stop, so an upcoming alpha would be the perfect time to see how it all works.

Rules of Engagement The Grey State will release for free in 2026. You can wishlist it on Steam here.

If this seems like your kind of thing but you can't wait for next year (or whenever this mysterious alpha test may rear its head), try out some of our favorite horror games. If you're after the competitive vibe, some of our picks in our best multiplayer games guide will have you covered.

What do you make of this twist on the extraction shooter genre? Let us know in our community Discord server, where staff and readers hang out to discuss the latest gaming news. It's definitely not a horrorverse, if that tips the scales either way.