When is the Killing Floor 3 release date? It’s been nearly seven years since Killing Floor 2 was released, bringing Horzine Biotech’s Zeds to a more single-player friendly format following the 6-player co-op experience of the first game. If you thought the series was dead after the less popular VR game of 2017, we’ve got news for you.
We like to think we willed Killing Floor 3 into existence with our hot take when Behaviour Interactive acquired Killing Floor co-creators Antimatter Games. Whether you have us to thank for manifesting the game or not, a sneak peek during Gamescom Opening Night Live 2023 confirmed that the survival game is in development. Here’s what we know about a potential Killing Floor 3 release date window, gameplay, and more.
Killing Floor 3 release date window
The Killing Floor 3 release date window is set for March 2025 as revealed during The Game Awards 2024. The FPS game will be available on PC via Steam, as well as PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
This release date was confirmed during the PC Gaming Show 2024 stream, where the trailer showed about a minute of barbaric in-game footage. This includes devastating weapons such as a revolving shotgun and electrified floors to halt the specimens in their tracks.
First teased during Gamescom 2024, various YouTube shorts drip-fed us reveals of some of the monsters we’ll be facing off against in the months since. However, the PC Gaming Show 2024 stream was the first time we’d seen the shooter in action.
Killing Floor 3 trailers
The first Killing Floor 3 trailer starts with a large humanoid creature strapped to an operating table, revealed to have been created for this sole purpose. Its chest is ripped apart using a large wheel saw, and a glowing core is fitted into the gaping chasm of flesh. Once the transformation ends, the scene reveals hundreds of terrifying Fleshpounds, one of the most brutal enemies in the Killing Floor series.
From there, it looks as though plenty of familiar Zed specimens return in Killing Floor 3, including the Husk, while a boss that seems to be a more brutal upgrade of King Fleshpound can also be seen toward the end of the trailer.
The more recent Killing Floor trailer shows a range of destructive weapons that don’t just kill the mutants but rather decimate them. Revolver shotguns punch through like a piston through steel, flamethrowers cook them to a crisp, and even the humble pistol bursts their skulls in a shower of blood.
We also see several gadgets, like an electric mine that keeps the smaller specimens in place, a drone that blasts at enemies while you’re reloading, and what is either a zipline or a jetpack (through all the gunfire and snarls, it’s hard to tell which). Toward the end of the trailer, we see more elaborate monsters, including the Fleshpound with flails for hands and a brand new hulking boss specimen with a retractable blade on its head.
Killing Floor 3 gameplay
From what we know so far, the gameplay of Killing Floor 3 appears to be consistent with the previous two main games. According to the announcement trailer’s description on the official Tripwire Interactive YouTube channel, you join forces “with up to five teammates to battle waves of Zeds, earn dosh, unlock skills, and build the ultimate arsenal.”
The game takes place in 2091, and you play as a member of the Nightfall rebel group in trying to take down the destructive Horzine corporation. In the 70 years since Killing Floor 2, Horzine has developed a massive army of Zeds, and as a Nightfall representative, it’s up to you to try and bring them down.
To celebrate the series’ 15th anniversary, a video was posted on the TripWire Interactive YouTube channel. It runs through the series’ history. In it, we also see some concept art of the monsters and early development footage, with everything untextured.
Confirmed Killing Floor 3 specimens
Below are the confirmed Killing Floor 3 specimens, with links to their reveal trailers where possible:
The 15th-anniversary video also features an untextured version of the Siren from previous Killing Floor games screaming at the player, but this is from early test footage and has not been officially revealed in-game.
That is what we know about Killing Floor 3 so far, but we’ll keep adding to this guide the more Tripwire Interactive updates us, so if you’re excited, chuck a bookmark on it. While you wait, you could always replay the other Killing Floor games, or try one of our other favorite horror games right now. Alternatively, there are plenty of non-horror FPS games around, too, if you’re looking for something a little less gory.