Until Dawn 2 Releases January 28, 2027 — New Trailer Reveals Blackwood Return, Akishima Island and Dr. Hill

Until Dawn 2 launches exclusively on PS5 on January 28, 2027, and Firesprite’s new pre-order trailer finally makes the sequel’s relationship to the original game clearer: the new Dead True crew starts by investigating the tragedy at Blackwood before being pulled toward an entirely new supernatural mystery on Akishima Island. Peter Stormare also returns as Dr. Hill — though what he actually does in this story is still unclear.

Blackwood Still Matters — Even in a Standalone Sequel

Preorders open September 10, and the game is developed by Firesprite — the Liverpool-based Sony studio, not Until Dawn‘s original developer Supermassive Games — with the story built alongside AdHoc Studio, the team behind Dispatch. Firesprite has consistently called Until Dawn 2 “a standalone experience” with a brand new cast and a whole new world. That’s not the contradiction it sounds like: standalone means the story doesn’t require the original Blackwood survivors to lead it, not that Blackwood’s history is irrelevant. The new trailer opens with Dead True filming at Blackwood Sanatorium, shooting an episode about “the tragic events that unfolded 12 years ago” — a direct, explicit tie to the first game, even while the returning survivors’ fates remain unaddressed. Nothing here establishes who lived, who died, or which ending is being treated as canon.

Dead True Aren’t the Old Survivors

Dead True are a paranormal YouTube channel that built a following on content that was, by the game’s own framing, “a little staged” — they’d never actually encountered anything supernatural before landing a bigger TV deal and getting shipped to a remote island for their first fully funded episode. At Blackwood, new intern Izzy (Sarah Catherine Hook) uncovers something the trailer doesn’t specify, upending the crew’s plans.

Yoona’s Warning Sends the Crew to Akishima Island

Later, at HorrorCon in Sydney, the crew meets Yoona (Gia Kim), a survivor of a supernatural attack who reveals a dark, necrotic scar. Her warning is what actually redirects Dead True toward Akishima Island — a remote South Pacific island abandoned since a luxury resort’s mysterious shutdown in the ’70s, hiding a history Firesprite describes only as “centuries old.” Nothing in official material names what’s actually there. Whatever creature briefly appears in the trailer’s darker moments hasn’t been identified by Firesprite — there’s no confirmation it’s a Wendigo or any other named threat from the original game.

The Trailer Demonstrates Real Butterfly Effect Choices

Two moments in the trailer make the point concretely rather than just promising it. Owen (Dacre Montgomery), described as Dead True’s cocky star, hits a fork: follow a signal connected to his missing friend Nate (Spence Moore II), or cross a rickety bridge to check out a strangely lively bar. Firesprite frames it as a real trade-off — going after Nate might turn up clues, or it might leave Owen exposed to whatever’s in the shadows. Neither outcome is shown.

Separately, Mina (Camila Senna), Dead True’s conflicted co-host, faces a demand for a ritual sacrifice, live on camera — sacrifice the crew’s chicken for the network, or set it free and cut her own palm instead. Small relationship dynamics established earlier in the game can also shape how later moments like these play out, though Firesprite hasn’t described a full romance or reputation system attached to it.

Dr. Hill Is Back — His Role Isn’t

Peter Stormare’s return as Dr. Hill was confirmed back in June and gets reinforced here through Dr. Hill-themed pre-order bonuses — a classic Until Dawn outfit, an Akishima Island outfit, and collectible bobbleheads. What his actual function in Until Dawn 2 is remains unstated: nothing confirms he’s alive, a ghost, a narrator, or filling the same structural role he had the first time.

The Digital Deluxe Edition adds a Y2K Neon Vibes Pack covering all eight Dead True members — Owen, Mina, Nate, Reagan, Izzy, Luke, Josie and Cameron — plus a “Diorama of Death” feature for revisiting death scenes from different angles. Beyond the date, the cast, and Blackwood’s confirmed return, most of what Akishima Island actually holds is still exactly what the trailer wants you asking about.