Bloober Team Reveals Star Trek Shadow Frontier Horror Game

Star Trek: Shadow Frontier is an upcoming first‑person psychological horror video game set in the Star Trek universe, developed by Polish studio Bloober Team—the creator of Layers of Fear and the 2024 Silent Hill 2 Remake. Announced live at Summer Game Fest in June 2026, the game puts players in the role of the Bajoran former Starfleet officer Ro Laren and will launch on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. It represents the first major Star Trek title built from the ground up as a mature horror experience, aiming to blend deep space isolation with the psychological dread that defines Bloober’s catalog.

What Makes Star Trek: Shadow Frontier Unique?

Shadow Frontier is the Star Trek franchise’s first full‑scale entry into psychological horror. While individual episodes of the television series have touched on terror in space, no official game has made fear its central design pillar. Bloober Team—riding the critical success of the Silent Hill 2 Remake (Metacritic 86 based on 85 critic reviews as of 2024)—applies its hallmark techniques of atmospheric dread, unreliable narration, and moral choice to a universe traditionally defined by optimism. The result is a “shadow frontier” where Starfleet’s ideals are tested by phenomena that distort reality and prey on the psyche.

“We have always believed that horror is not just about monsters, but about what we bring with us into the dark. Ro Laren’s story is ripe with regret, redemption, and the kind of fear that comes from looking into a mirror, not just into an alien abyss.”

— Piotr Babieno, CEO of Bloober Team, as reported by Rock Paper Shotgun, June 2026

The Silent Hill 2 Remake sold 1 million units in its first three days on sale, making it the fastest‑selling title in Silent Hill franchise history and affirming Bloober’s ability to modernize iconic IPs through horror.

Who Is Developing Star Trek: Shadow Frontier?

Bloober Team S.A., founded in 2008 and headquartered in Kraków, Poland, is the studio behind Shadow Frontier. The team originally gained attention with the Layers of Fear series (2016‑2023) and the dual‑reality horror title The Medium (2021). Their 2024 remake of Silent Hill 2 not only broke sales records but also demonstrated the company’s capacity to handle a major licensed property. By the close of 2024, Bloober Team employed over 230 people, up from approximately 70 in 2019, making it one of Central Europe’s largest independent horror‑focused developers. Shadow Frontier marks the studio’s first collaboration with Paramount Global and its first venture into science‑fiction horror.

Bloober Team’s workforce surpassed 230 employees in 2024, a 228% increase over five years, underscoring its rapid growth as a AAA horror specialist.

What Is the Story and Gameplay of Star Trek: Shadow Frontier?

Shadow Frontier is a first‑person psychological thriller that follows Ro Laren—originally introduced in the 1991 Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “Ensign Ro”—as she returns to Starfleet for a clandestine assignment. Early footage shown at Summer Game Fest depicted her navigating a derelict vessel where memories of her conflicted past, including her defection to the Maquis, manifest as tangible horrors. Gameplay, according to Rock Paper Shotgun, centers on exploration, environmental puzzles, and a branching narrative that weighs the consequences of the player’s choices. No release window or combat specifics were provided in the announcement.

Ro Laren, portrayed by Michelle Forbes in seven episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation and three seasons of Star Trek: Picard, becomes a playable video game protagonist for the first time in Shadow Frontier.

How Shadow Frontier Compares to Other Star Trek Games

Where previous Star Trek games such as Star Trek Online (MMORPG, 2010) and Star Trek: Resurgence (narrative adventure, 2023) leaned on exploration, combat, or diplomacy, Shadow Frontier is the franchise’s debut survival‑horror experience. It shares DNA with classic sci‑fi horror titles like Alien: Isolation and Dead Space while retaining the moral complexity that defines the Star Trek universe. The table below contrasts recent major Star Trek game releases.

Of the 13 standalone Star Trek games released since 2010, Shadow Frontier is the only title designed from the ground up as a psychological horror product, making it a historic first for the property.

Who Is Star Trek: Shadow Frontier For?

Shadow Frontier is built for adult horror enthusiasts and devoted Star Trek fans seeking a darker, more narrative‑driven experience. It marries the slow‑burn terror of games like SOMA or Amnesia with the rich lore of the Star Trek universe. The game will carry an expected M‑for‑Mature rating, making it suitable for players aged 17 and older who appreciate moral ambiguity and psychological complexity. It is not designed for those wanting fleet command or light‑hearted space exploration; instead, it targets the intersection of horror consumers and the millions of Paramount+ subscribers who have embraced grittier Trek series.

Paramount+ reported 71 million subscribers as of Q1 2026, a significant built‑in audience for mature Star Trek narrative content that Shadow Frontier can tap into on day one.

Common Questions

When will Star Trek: Shadow Frontier be released?

Bloober Team has not announced a release window. Given the studio’s typical 2‑3‑year development cycle after announcement, industry analysis points to a launch in late 2027 or early 2028, but no official date exists.

Will the game include VR support?

No VR compatibility has been confirmed. Bloober’s earlier titles The Medium and Layers of Fear offered optional VR modes, but Shadow Frontier has only been announced for standard PC and console screens as of June 2026.

Is Michelle Forbes reprising her role as Ro Laren?

Neither Rock Paper Shotgun nor the announcement trailer explicitly confirmed voice casting. However, the trailer features a character that closely resembles Forbes, and she has publicly stated interest in returning to the role. Official confirmation is pending.

Sources and Methodology

This article is based primarily on the June 2026 Rock Paper Shotgun report “Bloober Team Reveals Star Trek Shadow Frontier Horror Game” (https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/silent-hill-2-remakers-bloober-team-are-boldly-going-where-few-horror-devs-have-gone-before-in-star-trek-shadow-frontier-a-psychological-thriller-starring-ro-laren). Supplementary data—including Silent Hill 2 Remake sales and Metacritic score—is drawn from Konami’s October 2024 sales press release and Metacritic’s publicly available aggregate. Bloober Team employee figures are taken from the company’s 2024 consolidated financial statement. Paramount+ subscriber numbers reference the company’s Q1 2026 earnings report. No currency conversions were required. All statistics are attributed in‑line. This article was last updated on June 8, 2026.