Nintendo cryptically teases what appears to be a new mature horror game

Nintendo has dropped a teaser for a seemingly mature horror game that has left many fans scratching their heads.

In a 15-second video simply titled “Emio,” a person with a trench coat is standing in a dimly lit room with a paper bag and a smiley face over his head. The Japanese kanji that is displayed alongside him also translates to “Smiling Man,” while the Entertainment Software Ratings Board’s “M” rating is also listed. “#WhoIsEmio” is also written in the YouTube video description, as well as on accompanying social media posts.

Of course, Nintendo is best known for family-friendly games, and even its so-called “spookier” titles, like the Luigi’s Mansion series, are naturally more comedic and age-appropriate takes on horror. That said, the company has dabbled in the horror genre with M-rated titles like Fatal Frame and Eternal Darkness, although these were developed by third parties and only published by Nintendo.

Some are speculating that “Emio” is another such title, with X (Twitter) user @Wario64 noting that it might come from Bloober Team, the studio behind The Medium, Layers of Fear and the upcoming Silent Hill 2 remake. That’s because the Polish developer has previously been confirmed to be working on a game for Nintendo platforms.

Ultimately, this whole reveal is very curious, as it’s not the kind of thing we normally get from Nintendo. It remains to be seen whether “Emio” is intended to be a Nintendo Switch title or the successor console that will be formally revealed sometime before April 2025.

Source: Nintendo