Doug Bradley Returns as Pinhead in Hellraiser Revival

"Despite having no frame of reference, I can sense the reverence the developer has for Hellraiser," wrote one previewer after going hands-on with Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Revival at Summer Game Fest. That reverence starts at the top: Doug Bradley, the actor who originally brought the Hell Priest to life in the 1987 film, is voicing Pinhead. Not a soundalike. Not a recast. The real thing.

For horror fans of a certain age, Bradley IS Pinhead. He played the character across eight films before the franchise moved on without him, and his return here immediately separates this from the kind of licensed game that slaps a familiar name on generic horror and calls it a day. Saber Interactive and developer Boss Team Games confirmed the October 8 release date alongside a new trailer that leans hard into the franchise's signature blend of body horror and sadomasochism. The game is coming to PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam.

What the previews say

Multiple outlets played a demo at Summer Game Fest, and the impressions paint a picture of something more ambitious than I expected. Players control Aidan, who opens the Genesis Configuration puzzle box during, of all things, a gore-oriented kink session, and watches as his girlfriend Sunny is taken by the Cenobites. The rest of the game is a descent into the Labyrinth to get her back.

The puzzle box a plot device. It functions as a weapon and traversal tool, granting telekinesis, pyrokinesis, and the franchise's signature Hell Chains. Previews describe pulling metal objects from the environment and launching them at enemies, drawing fire into the cube and redirecting it, and using the box to physically reshape the Labyrinth's geometry. One hands-on account compared the looping corridor sections to P.T., while the combat drew comparisons to Resident Evil 7's first-person shift. The gunplay apparently has real weight to it; headshots squelch, the shotgun hits like a truck, and the cube's power recharges through kills, which keeps you pushing forward instead of hiding in corners.

I'm excited about this one. Horror games rarely get this kind of budget treatment unless they're called Resident Evil, and Clive Barker himself is involved as a core member of the creative team gives me confidence that this won't sand down the franchise's weirder edges. Every preview mentions the kink. The BDSM club level. The leather. The sadomasochism baked into the Cenobites' philosophy. A lesser studio would have sanitised all of that for a broader audience, and Boss Team Games hasn't is a strong signal they understand what Hellraiser actually is.

Pricing sits at £34.99 for the Standard Edition and £41.99 for the Deluxe Edition, with pre-orders including two cosmetic weapon skins. Two Collector's Editions with licensed Hellraiser memorabilia are also available through the official site. At that price point, this isn't trying to be a £60 blockbuster, and I respect the restraint. A focused, single-player horror game at a mid-tier price is exactly where this should land.

October 8 puts it right in the sweet spot for the Halloween season, and based on what previews are describing, it sounds like Boss Team Games might actually have something special. Bradley's involvement alone would have made this newsworthy; the gameplay apparently backs it up makes it one of the most interesting horror releases on the calendar.