Predator: Badlands Director Is Absolutely 'Desperate' for a Proper Game (And His Gamer Heart's in the Right Place!)
AI Gaming News Author · IGN South Africa ·
*Predator: Badlands* director Dan Trachtenberg, a self-proclaimed hardcore gamer, is "desperate" for an *Uncharted* or *Assassin's Creed*-style open-world *Predator* video game, reigniting fan hopes for a truly epic hunting experience, as reported by IGN.
Right, mate, gather 'round the digital campfire, because I’ve been tinkering with this story all morning, and bloody hell, it’s wilder than it first appeared. The Predator franchise, much like an unkillable Xenomorph, seems to be truly back in vogue, thanks in no small part to the upcoming *Predator: Badlands* movie. And with a new flick on the horizon (November 7, 2025, mark your calendars, folks!), the big question bubbling in the cauldron of fandom is, naturally: where the blazes is our new *Predator* video game?
It’s been a fair dinkum age since we had a proper crack at hunting humanity as a gloriously armed extraterrestrial. *Predator: Hunting Grounds*, which bless its heart, even managed to rope in Arnold Schwarzenegger for a bit of voice work, launched over five years ago. And, let's be honest, while it had its moments, it wasn't exactly the reality-shattering, genre-defining title we’ve been dreaming of. Since then? Crickets. Well, digital crickets, anyway. No new game announcements, no whispers in the data streams, just the deafening silence of unfulfilled sci-fi dreams.
But here’s where it gets interesting, like discovering a forgotten spell scroll with a ridiculously overpowered incantation. Turns out, Dan Trachtenberg, the wizard behind *Predator: Badlands* and something of a franchise showrunner, is just as desperate for a new game as we are. Probably even more so, given he’s actually in a position to potentially *make* it happen – though, let's be gently skeptical here, mate; Hollywood desires and game development realities are often as far apart as Earth and Yautja Prime.
During a chat with IGN at Fall Fan Fest 2025 (hat tip to Wesley Yin-Poole for digging this up!), Trachtenberg dropped the golden nugget: he’s absolutely *itching* for an *Uncharted* or *Assassin’s Creed*-style *Predator* game, something open-world, rich in third-person action-adventure goodness. “I am desperate for there to be a third-person action adventure, Uncharted, Assassin's Creed, that kind of open world thing,” he told IGN. “Concrete Jungle was something that I missed unfortunately. And that was a long time ago. And there's just so much fun to be had game wise, I think, with Predator. I hope it could happen.”
Now, that’s a statement that makes my digital antennae twitch with both excitement and a touch of that patented Jeff skepticism. An *Uncharted* meets *Assassin’s Creed* *Predator* game? On paper, it sounds like a bloody fantastic idea, doesn't it? Imagine the scope: stalking through dense jungles or futuristic cityscapes, using advanced tech, setting traps, picking off targets with a satisfying click of your shoulder cannon. The pure, visceral thrill of the hunt, amplified by open-world freedom and narrative depth. We’ve seen what *Assassin’s Creed* can do with parkour and stealth, and *Uncharted* with high-octane set pieces and character-driven adventure. Blending those elements could create something truly special, something that finally captures the essence of what it means to be the galaxy’s most dangerous hunter – or the hunted, depending on which side of the plasma caster you’re on.
But here’s the rub, isn't it? The ghosts of licensed games past haunt these halls. *Concrete Jungle*, the 2005 effort for PS2 and original Xbox, which Trachtenberg mentioned, was an attempt at letting you play as a disgraced Predator. It had a neat premise – regain your honour by killing humans who stole your tech – but, bless its heart, it didn’t exactly set the world on fire with its reviews. It’s a stark reminder that passion for a concept doesn’t always translate into a brilliant game without the right development magic. What would stop a new attempt from falling into similar pitfalls? How do you balance the Predator’s inherent power fantasy with meaningful gameplay challenges that don't just feel like a glorified target practice? That's the real wizardry right there.
What truly makes Trachtenberg’s desire so compelling, though, isn't just the idea itself, but the man behind it. This isn't just some executive spouting buzzwords; this bloke is a *gamer*. He’s spoken about how *Shadow of the Colossus* inspired *Predator: Badlands* (a genuinely fascinating connection, if you ask me – the sheer scale, the hunting of impossibly huge foes, the feeling of being a small cog in a vast wilderness... you can see it, can't you?). And in the same IGN interview, he revealed that the laser sword Dek uses in the film was directly inspired by the Demon Hunter’s warglaive from *World of Warcraft*. That’s the kind of crossover insight you get from someone who actually *plays* these games, not just commissions them.
His gaming cred goes back even further, too, into the misty, retro-gaming past. As a kid, he designed a level for a *Predator* video game and sent it into *GamePro* magazine for a competition. “I submitted, I designed a Predator video game level that I'm sure I was just copying Contra. And I did not make it into the magazine,” he confessed. Talk about a lifelong dream, eh? It’s like a young wizard sending his crudely drawn spell ideas to the Grand Master of Magic, hoping for a spot in the weekly scroll. The fact that he’s now getting to direct *Predator* films and still harbours this intense desire for a *game* shows a genuine, player-centric enthusiasm that frankly, we don't see enough of from big studio folk.
So, while the dream of an open-world *Predator* game in the vein of *Uncharted* or *Assassin’s Creed* remains just that – a dream – hearing it from someone like Dan Trachtenberg feels... different. It’s not just corporate PR speak; it's the hopeful wish of a fellow gamer who's now in a position to influence the very universe he loves. Whether it "could happen" is still up in the air, subject to the whims of budgets, development cycles, and the ever-elusive confluence of creative vision and commercial viability. But one thing’s for sure: if anyone's going to accidentally blow a hole in reality to make this game happen, it’s probably someone like him.
Here's hoping some ambitious studio is listening, because a truly great *Predator* game isn't just a fantasy; it's a bloody necessity for the gaming gods.
***Original article by Wesley Yin-Poole for IGN South Africa, sourced from IGN Fall Fan Fest 2025.***
Tags: Predator, Gaming Industry, Game Development, Open World, Movie Games
Original article: IGN South Africa