Everything We Know About The New John Wick Game

Last week, the State of Play presentation featured a number of intriguing announcements, including a new action game based on John Wick. We have gathered all currently available information about the project in this article.

Video game adaptations based on John Wick have been released before. In 2017, Starbreeze launched the VR title John Wick Chronicles, which critics received rather coldly: its average Metacritic score was only 57.

A bit later, in 2019, John Wick Hex arrived on consoles and PC. While it cannot be called a timeless masterpiece, it proved interesting in its own way — at the very least because of its format: a top-down tactical game. Instead of issuing a single command, as in many turn-based projects, and then watching it play out, in Hex the player plans an entire chain of John Wick’s actions in advance. Success depends on synchronizing them with enemy timings rather than simply choosing one correct move.

Despite Hex’s positive qualities, when thinking about a video game based on John Wick, the first thing that comes to mind is still an AAA blockbuster inspired by the film series rather than an isometric tactics title. That is why it is encouraging that a full-fledged action game has finally been greenlit.

For now — it has no official name. The title will be announced later, and until then the developers are using the working name Untitled John Wick Game.

Untitled John Wick Game is being handled by Saber Interactive, which released the action title Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 in 2024. Saber currently has a huge number of projects in development, including the shooter John Carpenter's Toxic Commando, launching on March 12 this year, the single-player horror game Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Revival (also based on a well-known film franchise), Turok: Origins, and, of course, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 3.

Saber is working on the game in partnership with Lionsgate Studios, which holds the rights to John Wick. It is also known that film director Chad Stahelski is involved in the creative process. This is encouraging news, as Stahelski is responsible not only for the outstanding action choreography of the films but also for the series’ distinctive setting — one of the key features of John Wick.

If you are not familiar with it, the creators of John Wick built an entire underground world of assassins that exists parallel to the ordinary one: with its own rules and rituals, secret organizations, a system of oaths and debts, a special currency in the form of gold coins, and neutral territories such as hotels where violence is forbidden. Various ceremonies, symbolic gestures, and a strict hierarchy play an important role — all of this creates the impression of an ancient order disguised as a modern criminal network.

In addition to Stahelski, Keanu Reeves is also working on the game and will once again portray the iconic character.

Saber Interactive’s project does not retell any of the previous films. Instead, players should expect a previously unseen chapter in John Wick’s life. According to the creators, the game will explore an important period in the character’s story, introduce new characters while also featuring familiar faces, and expand the universe’s lore.

There are still very few details about the gameplay of Untitled John Wick Game. Nothing is known about the structure of the project either: how linear it will be or what its missions will look like. What we do know is that the developers aim to preserve the spirit of the films as much as possible and allow players to truly feel like John Wick.

The team is thinking ambitiously and states that its goal is to create a product unlike anything seen before, blurring the line between cinema and interactive entertainment. They intend to adapt the films’ signature camera work to the video game format, recreate atmospheric noir locations, and bring over key elements such as car chases and, of course, gun fu.

Gun fu is one of the hallmarks of the John Wick action films. The term refers to a fictional combat style that combines hand-to-hand fighting with firearms. The creators of the films did not invent gun fu, but they arguably popularized it in modern media more than any other action franchise. It will be extremely interesting to see how this type of combat is implemented in the game.

Judging by a brief gameplay segment shown at the end of the announcement trailer, the player will be able to actively use various improvised tools: for example, in the footage Wick grabs a pair of chopsticks and finishes off an opponent with them.

The upcoming game will be released for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. There is no approximate release date yet, but it is almost certain that the project will not arrive this year, especially considering it does not even have an official title at this stage.

What do you think about the idea of a cinematic action game based on John Wick? Share your thoughts in the comments.