After the critical success achieved with SOMA and the famous Amnesia series, Frictional Games is back in the spotlight by officially announcing its new and ambitious project at the TGA: ONTOS. Made in collaboration with publisher Kepler Interactive, this mysterious thriller with science fiction hues is expected during 2026.

Defined by the developers themselves as a spiritual successor to SOMA, the title has been in the works at the studio's Swedish team for over ten years. Thomas Grip, co-founder and creative director, explained that it is the largest project ever created by the studio in terms of production values and themes covered: if the previous work analyzed the concept of consciousness, ONTOS aims to explore the very nature of reality, with the aim of making us interact directly with the mysteries of existence.

In the game we will play the role of Aditi Amani, a skilled engineer looking for answers regarding her father, from whom she moved away long ago. Our investigation will lead us to Samsara, a vast lunar hotel built on the ruins of a failed mining colony. The setting is structured as an interconnected labyrinth in which each area contains a specific story; The gameplay will focus a lot on ingenuity, allowing us to take advantage of different solutions to overcome the obstacles we will encounter on our path.

On the technical side, ONTOS is powered by the new proprietary HPL4 graphics engine and boasts a prominent cast that includes Golden Globe-winning actor Stellan Skarsgård. Curiously, the game had already been anticipated in September 2025 via an ARG (alternate reality game): some clues hidden in the update for the tenth anniversary of SOMA had in fact led the most attentive fans to a series of websites and cryptic messages that foreshadowed today's announcement.

We leave you with the announcement trailer and a set of images; enjoy!