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Frictional Reveals Ontos, Soma’s Spiritual Successor, for 2026

The studio frames the 2026 release as a spiritual follow-up to Soma built on its new HPL4 engine.

Overview

  • The Game Awards 2025 reveal confirmed a 2026 launch on PC via Steam and GOG, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S with Xbox Play Anywhere support.
  • Players assume Aditi Amani, drawn by a message from her estranged father to the repurposed moon hotel Samsara to investigate their past.
  • Exploration spans an open, interconnected facility where you scavenge items, manipulate analog machinery, and tackle “Experiments” that allow multiple solutions with lasting consequences.
  • Frictional describes the experience as tense and cerebral rather than traditional horror with constant monster chases, positioning it as a philosophical inquiry into reality.
  • Built on the new HPL4 engine and published with Kepler Interactive, the project features Stellan Skarsgård and a trailer packed with surreal imagery such as a talking wall of mice.