The popular open-world horror RPG is getting a sequel

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Key things

  • Open-world survival horror RPG Pathologic 3 has been announced for 2025 and has been confirmed for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
  • The game will star The Bachelor, one of three playable characters from the first Pathologic that was missing from its 2019 reboot.
  • In addition to the graphical improvements, Pathologic 3 will introduce a time travel mechanic that further complicates its gameplay loop and infuses its surreal themes.



Pathological 3 was officially announced. The sequel to the popular open-world horror RPG promises to expand into an ever-growing catalog of surreal PC and console games.

Developed by Russian studio Ice-Pick Lodge, original Pathological hit the market in 2005 and eventually gained a cult following thanks to its heady atmosphere, compelling writing, and unusual premise revolving around saving a disease-ridden town. The edgy psychological horror game was powered by a proprietary engine. It was later reworked in Unity with some extra features as well as a number of notable omissions, with publisher TinyBuild releasing the project in 2019 as Pathological 2.

No One Lives Under The Lighthouse, SIGNALIS, Pathologic 2

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Pathologic 3 announced for 2025

The open world horror RPG series is now set to continue Pathological 3which was officially announced in early October 2024. While the third entry in the franchise will still be made by the same developers, it will be published by Cypriot company HypeTrain Digital. The game is currently targeted for a 2025 release as it has been confirmed for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.


Pathologic 3 Stars the Bachelor

While the first Pathological featured three playable characters, its reboot-sequel allowed players to step into the shoes of only one of them, the so-called Haruspex. Now another member of the original trio, The Bachelor, is set to star Pathological 3. So the upcoming game can be seen as a continuation of Ice-Pick Lodge's efforts to complete Pathological 2which was always intended to remake all three stories from the first entry in the series. But releasing the Bachelor's campaign as a stand-alone entry, rather than paid DLC, makes it easier for the Russian studio to deliver notable graphical enhancements like those seen in the game's reveal trailer.


As for gameplay differences, Pathological 3 it will feature a time travel mechanic, an idea the developers have already experimented with Marble nestand Pathological 2 DLC released at the end of 2019. This ability is said to be the Bachelor's main strength in his fight against an epidemic gripping the mysterious city in which the new game (still) takes place, allowing him to relive key events and turn them to his advantage.

Our goal is to make the player feel that time is more complex than we usually perceive it to be – as a linear path.


In addition to adding depth to the classic Pathological the game loop with time management, the ability to rewind time also contributes to the surreal themes of survival horror. “Our goal is to make the player feel that time is more complex than we usually perceive it to be – as a linear path,” said Ice-Pick Lodge founder Nikolay Dybowski. See how Pathological 2 is still widely touted as one of the best non-linear horror games of all time, the arrival of its even more convoluted sequel is sure to be exciting news for many fans of the genre.

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