Xbox One
PC
PS5
Xbox’s latest Partner Preview had its share of surprises, but one announcement clawed its way above the rest: The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu, a first-person co-op horror adventure from ACE Team and publisher NACON. The debut gameplay trailer finally lifted the curtain on what to expect when the game launches in Summer 2026 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC — and if the footage is anything to go by, it’s aiming for the unsettling sweet spot between shared survival, creeping dread, and full-blown psychological collapse.
Inspired (and very loosely tethered) to Lovecraft’s novella The Mound, the game transports players to the 16th century at the height of New World expeditions. Instead of civilisation and discovery, though, you’ll be venturing into jungles riddled with cult symbols, impossible architecture, and creatures that look like they’ve been sculpted by sleep paralysis.
Up to four players can form an expedition team, with each run beginning aboard a galleon. This serves as your hub: a place to plan, argue, panic quietly, and pick the exact weapons and equipment you’ll regret not bringing once you step onto land. Loadouts and missions are chosen collaboratively, so if someone forgets torches or sanity-saving gear… well, that’s on the group.
Once your boots hit soil, cooperation becomes more than a design bullet point. The jungle isn’t just dangerous — it’s unpredictable. Enemies don’t just kill you; they erode your perception. Hallucinations twist sound and sight until you can’t quite trust what you’re reacting to. A scream might be a warning… or nothing. A silhouette may be a teammate offering help — or something eager to wear your skull like a seasonal accessory.
The game leans heavily on proximity voice chat, meaning communication gets messy in all the right ways. Losing line-of-sight feels genuinely risky. Shooting first and clarifying later might make things worse. And the longer the expedition runs, the more fragile your team’s grip on reality becomes.
It’s survival, but not just in the physical sense — it’s endurance against paranoia, misdirection and your own brain. Make it back to the galleon with treasure and sanity intact, and you’ve earned the right to try again… or never sleep properly again.
The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu is scheduled to release in Summer 2026 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.
Whether your friendships will survive the trip is another matter entirely.
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