LONDON (Dec. 11, 2025) | Video games publisher and creative studio Kepler Interactive and Frictional Games, the independent developer known for SOMA, and the Penumbra and Amnesia series, have today revealed their newest project, ONTOS, a sci-fi mystery thriller coming to PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S next year. Featuring Golden Globe winner Stellan Skarsgård within its talented cast, ONTOS has been developed as a spiritual successor to the critically acclaimed SOMA by the talented Swedish development team, bringing their immersive gameplay systems and unrivalled storytelling and worldbuilding to the next level.
In ONTOS, players will become Aditi Amani, a resourceful engineer, as she explores the repurposed moon hotel Samsara in search of the truth around her estranged father. Samsara is a vast labyrinth built atop the ruins of a failed mining colony, and players will explore this open, interconnected environment in their quest for the truth. Every corner of Samsara tells a story, and every story has something hiding beneath the surface, waiting to be found...
Players will scavenge for helpful items, manipulate intricate machinery and face intense tests of morality as they encounter horrific Experiments throughout Samsara. There is no ‘one solution’ to the obstacles players will encounter in ONTOS. Players will need to use their wits and ingenuity to reach the narrative’s mysterious conclusions and face the consequences of their choices.
“After more than 10 years of development it is incredibly exciting to finally announce ONTOS. This is easily our most ambitious project yet in terms of scope, production values and sheer thematic ambitions,” says Thomas Grip, creative director and co-founder of Frictional Games. “Where SOMA tackled consciousness, ONTOS aims to do the same thing with the very nature of reality. A lofty goal - yes - and a risky one too. I feel we have managed to create something that does just that though - a game that lets you actively engage with the mysteries of existence headfirst. I am personally dying to see how players react to it.”
Developed using their new, proprietary HPL4 engine, Frictional Game’s most thought-provoking work yet will release in collaboration with Kepler Interactive, the publisher behind a curated collection of culturally resonant, bold and timeless games including Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Rematch, Sifu, Pacific Drive and Ultros.
“Kepler is always drawn to teams like Frictional Games that share our passion for creativity and art that feels alive. ONTOS is bold, unsettling and beautifully weird. It’s the kind of project that captures the magic of true auteurs and Hollywood talent coming together to explore the strange and tell a story that could only exist in video games,” says Alexis Garavaryan, CEO of Kepler Interactive.
ONTOS was previously teased back in September 2025 via an innovative and immersive ARG (Alternate Reality Game) made in collaboration with Kepler Interactive, ONTOS’ global publishing partner. Via a mysterious clue found in SOMA’s 10th anniversary update on PC, players could discover a series of social accounts, websites and strange messages that led them to uncover some early teases about ONTOS’ philosophical story themes and locations.
Players can wishlist ONTOS now on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S ahead of its release in 2026. For more information, visit: www.ontosgame.com.
Related Links
- Official Game Website: www.ontosgame.com
- Frictional Games Official Website: https://frictionalgames.com/
- Kepler Interactive Website: www.kepler-interactive.com
- Social Hub: http://www.ontosgame.com/link-hub
About Frictional Games
Frictional Games is a small independent game developer, known for horror themes and narrative experiences. They are the developers of the Penumbra series, the Amnesia series, SOMA, and publishers of Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs. ONTOS is their newest upcoming title, launching in 2026.
About Kepler Interactive
Kepler Interactive is a video game company and creative studio headquartered in London. With games like Pacific Drive, Sifu, Rematch and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Kepler curates its partnerships with developers worldwide to showcase some of the newest and most brilliant ideas in gaming that combine experimental game design with unique art direction.
Alongside its game portfolio, Kepler’s creative studio seeks to bring games to life in areas such as art, fashion, music, architecture and design through development of lifestyle products and collaborations with artists like fashion designer Robyn Lynch. Kepler explores the creative spaces that inspire games and the people who make them - challenging perspectives and elevating the medium to a new level.
