Rebellion confirms Alien Deathstorm uses the same engine as Atomfall, but it’s ‘a more advanced version’ that offers a new lighting system, ‘which for an action horror game is actually a must’ Demi Williams | usagoldmines.com

• Alien Deathstorm was built on a new version of the Atomfall engine
• Head of design Ben Fisher says it’s an “advanced” version that offers a new lighting system
• Producer Martin Willingham says this is “a must” for an action horror game

Rebellion has confirmed that Alien Deathstorm was built on a new version of the Atomfall engine, which also let the team bring the horror aspect to life.

Speaking in an interview with TechRadar Gaming at Gamescom, where we went hands-on with the upcoming first-person horror game, producer Martin Willingham and head of design Ben Fisher discussed how it’s not a survival shooter with typical survival horror features; the team considers it a “dynamic” experience with sandbox elements where the player’s actions can affect unscripted enemy encounters.

Willingham said the team values replayability and sandbox freedom, which means “we had to do something dynamic,” and “building the encounters around the player and the player’s activities means it’s a different experience.”

This sandbox survival experience was built on “a more advanced version” of the studio’s Atomfall engine, Fisher revealed, which offered an improved lighting system and a deeper sense of realism as players explore their surroundings.

“Which for an action horror game is actually a must,” said Willingham. “The tech team have just been absolute wizards with us being able to manifest and visualize that deathstorm.”

He added, “We’ve been working on a lot of the GPU particles, visual effects, and fog system as well.”

Alien Deathstorm doesn’t have a release date yet, but it’s coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Series S, and PC in Spring 2027.