Paranormal Activity: Threshold, a survival horror game based on the found-footage film franchise, has been canceled. Publisher DreadXP and developer DarkStone Digital confirmed the cancellation after Paramount Pictures, which owns the Paranormal Activity intellectual property, refused to extend the project’s development timeline.
The game was announced in 2024 and in development from solo developer Brian Clarke. Clarke asked for more time to deliver Threshold as a finished product. DreadXP backed the request. Paramount declined. Rather than ship something incomplete, Clarke ended the project. All three parties described the split as amicable.
The pressure of building Paranormal Activity: Threshold solo
Clarke is best known for The Mortuary Assistant, a horror game in which players work at a funeral home while handling demonic possessions and randomized cases. It entered early access in 2022 and built a solid player base on Steam. Threshold was Clarke’s first licensed IP project and his first work with a major entertainment company.
Under a licensed property, the IP holder controls core terms, including the development timeline. Paramount had no obligation to extend it, and when they declined, Clarke was left with two options: ship early or walk away. He walked away.
DreadXP sided with Clarke and backed the extension request. Paramount still said no, and the project ended.
Threshold drew positive attention when Clarke showed it at PAX before the cancellation. Solo developers rarely get the visibility that a licensed franchise provides, and the response there suggested the game had real appeal. The cancellation closes that path before players could see a finished version.
Clarke’s statement on the cancellation
In his public statement, Clarke said releasing Threshold before it met his quality standard was not an option. He thanked DreadXP for supporting the extension request and described Paramount as professional throughout the process. He expressed appreciation for the PAX reception and confirmed that horror game development remains his focus.
Clarke gave no announcement of a specific next project.
What this means for the Paranormal Activity franchise
Paramount has not said whether it will pursue a new game adaptation with a different developer. The Paranormal Activity franchise launched as a micro-budget found-footage film in 2007 and expanded into multiple sequels and spin-offs. Game adaptations have been rare, and Threshold would have been one of the more notable entries given Clarke’s track record in indie horror.
With no replacement in the works, the franchise currently has no active game project. Paramount has not commented on whether it plans to continue game licensing for the series.