Bloober Team, the Polish studio that earned widespread acclaim for its critically successful Silent Hill 2 Remake, surprised audiences during the latest Nintendo Direct by announcing an entirely new horror title designed exclusively for the Nintendo Switch 2. The game, called Onyx: The Dark Grip, is a 2.5D horror experience with a striking twist — it can only be played in handheld mode, leaning heavily into the console’s touchscreen and motion control capabilities.
Previously known internally as Project M, Onyx places players in the shoes of Holden, a man drawn into a desolate, fog-drenched town by a mysterious voice. Once there, he must piece together the unsettling truth behind the town and its inhabitants. According to GameSpot, players will also take on the role of a shadowy force known as “the mysterious Entity,” using touch controls to manipulate reality and motion inputs to reshape the world around Holden. The mechanic of reading the minds of townspeople adds another layer of psychological intrigue to the experience.
The handheld-only requirement is a bold design choice that sets Onyx apart from virtually every other major third-party release on the platform. By tying its core gameplay to tilt and touch mechanics, Bloober Team is building an experience that simply cannot be replicated on a television screen, making it one of the most unique propositions in the Switch 2 launch window lineup.
As Eurogamer notes, the project represents a return to Bloober Team’s smaller-scale development roots after a period dominated by large-budget productions. The studio had previously signaled its ambitions for the Switch 2 platform, stating last year that it wanted Nintendo’s new hardware to become “the scariest place in gaming.” With Onyx joining a growing slate of horror titles headed to the console — including newly announced ports of Capcom’s Resident Evil 2, 3, and 4 remakes — that vision is beginning to take shape.
While a precise launch date has not been confirmed, Onyx: The Dark Grip is scheduled to arrive on the Nintendo Switch 2 sometime in 2027. Given Bloober Team’s recent track record with both the Silent Hill 2 Remake and Cronos: The New Dawn, expectations for this portable horror venture are understandably high.