The legendary director ofHalloween,Escape from New York, andThe Thinghas attached his name toJohn Carpenter’s Toxic Commando, an upcoming first-person shooter, which is copying the most transformative element of last year’sWarhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2. John Carpenter plays plenty of video games, havinggotten hooked onFallout 76butnever beatingRed Dead Redemption, and he’s now teaming up with developer Saber Interactive to createToxic Commando, set to release sometime in 2026.

Space Marine 2is a legacy sequel to the 2011 original, andimpressed with its gameplay. WhileSpace Marine 2’s hack-and-slash/third-person shooter hybrid gameplay is strong, and its Space Marine customization is deep, the real star of the show is the villainous Tyranids. The heretical aliens' overwhelming swarms were brought to life bySaber Interactive’s Swarm Engine, which is being used forJohn Carpenter’s Toxic Commando.

John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando screenshot showing a group of survivors shooting at a horde of incoming zombies.

Toxic Commando Uses The Swarm Engine

Space Marine 2’s Secret Sauce

A newToxic Commandogameplay trailer debuted at 2025’sGamescom Opening Night Live, and aside from the assortment of guns, supernatural powers, and vehicles to drive, the standout feature is its zombie hordes. Seeing the trailer debut with Saber’s logo attached, I figured the dozens of zombies on-screen must be powered by the Swarm Engine, and publisherFocus Entertainmentconfirmed just that.

“Whether behind-the-wheel or on foot, players will facemassive enemy hordesand daunting bosses, all powered by Saber’s Swarm Engine,” the publisher writes. Seeing hundreds of Tyranids approach in the distance, signaling an imminent onslaught, is a huge highlight ofSpace Marine 2. Throw some vehicles into the mix, switch the perspective to first-person, and you’ve officially piqued my interest inJohn Carpenter’s Toxic Commando.

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Saber Interactive’s Swarm Engine Was Literally Made For Zombie Games

Thanks, World War Z

Space Marine 2is perhaps the best showcase for the Swarm Engine thus far, but it was conceived and created to power a zombie game, 2019’sWorld War Zadaptation. Just likeSpace Marine 2,World War Zcanrender 1,000 enemies on-screen, and they can perform complex horde maneuvers like climbing on top of one another to reach high places. The Swarm Engine is very impressive technologically, and has likely only improved betweenWWZandToxic Commando.

Zombie games are nothing new, and I’m among many who suffered from zombie fatigue as the genre blew up in the early 2010s and remained pervasive for years, but the Swarm Engine alone is reason enough to keepToxic Commandoon your radar. It’s pushing the envelope on enemy horde size and behavior, and with Carpenter himself lending ideas to the game, it may end up a must-play in 2026.

I had my doubts going intoSpace Marine 2– legacy sequels are hit-or-miss – but the Swarm Engine did not disappoint. Blasting and cutting through waves of Tyranids is electric, and I’m sure Saber Interactive has some tricks up its sleeve for how to push the engine even further. It’s been a long time since Carpenter was involved in video game development (he consulted on and narratedF.E.A.R. 3in 2011), butJohn Carpenter’s Toxic Commandohas a lot going for it, not the least of which is following in the footsteps ofWarhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2.