Surprise Reveal: Forest 3 Goes Sci-Fi

The Game Awards 2025 ceremony delivered one of the night’s most unexpected announcements for survival genre enthusiasts. Endnight Games, the developers behind the cult hits The Forest and Sons of the Forest, has officially unveiled the third installment in the series: Forest 3.

A Radical Shift in Visual Style

The debut trailer features innovations likely to catch long-time fans off guard. Unlike previous entries, where players struggled to survive in dense woodlands using primitive tools and structures, Forest 3 distinguishes itself with heavy sci-fi elements. The footage showcased striking details such as holographic chess boards, futuristic blast doors, and the wreckage of a massive spaceship.

One of the most notable gameplay additions spotted in the reveal is a mechanical, shoulder-mounted crane arm attached to the protagonist. How this new piece of technology will integrate with and impact the game’s core exploration and building mechanics remains a mystery for now.

The Horror Atmosphere Remains

Despite the dominant sci-fi tone, Endnight Games appears committed to staying true to the series’ roots. Toward the end of the trailer, the familiar misty, eerie atmosphere that defined the previous games makes a return. The threats in this new world appear just as terrifying; the glimpse of a massive, Lovecraftian entity suggests that the horror factor will remain a central pillar of the experience.

Release Date Currently Unknown

The studio began its journey with The Forest in 2018 (full release) and followed up with Sons of the Forest in 2024. With the impact of the previous title still fresh in players’ minds, this rapid announcement suggests Endnight is accelerating its production timeline.

It is currently unclear how Forest 3 will continue the narrative from where Sons of the Forest left off, or how drastically the new sci-fi theme will alter the gameplay loop. No release date or official platform list has been shared yet, though given the series’ history, a PC release is highly probable.