During the Jan. 31 PlayStation State of Play, Konami announced a new Silent Hill game—and it’s free. Titled The Short Message, the new title is out now and available on the PlayStation store for the PS5 console.
The release and the announcement come after months of leaks and rumors surrounding Konami’s latest entry in the Silent Hill universe and the first since Silent Hill: Downpour. The Short Message will be a first-person horror game with lots of liminal and tight spaces to navigate set in modern-day Germany and an ominous place known as The Villa. Its announcement immediately preceded a new look at the long-awaited Silent Hill 2 remake, which will return players to one of the most iconic psychological horror stories ever created.
Silent Hill: The Short Message has been in the works since at least 2022, when the game first appeared in alleged trademarks and since then rumors have been rampant, picking up steam in the months preceding the 2024 State of Play. Apart from this and the Silent Hill 2 remake, Konami is also working on Silent Hill f, a new story set in the Silent Hill universe, and the 10th franchise installment overall, The Short Message being the ninth.
Konami is also aiming to release a new Silent Hill movie alongside all the games, marking a major leap in the company’s AAA and franchising attempts since it announced its withdrawal from significant gaming endeavors to focus on its sports titles. Starting with Silent Hill and remakes and remasters of the Metal Gear Solid games, Konami seems to be working towards a revival of its mainstream gaming department and if what we’ve seen is anything to go by, they’re pretty adamant about it.
These announcements were part of Sony’s first State of Play for 2024, and you can check out everything shown in it here.
