Saw Officially Switches Genre In Upcoming Prequel

Published Sep 30, 2026, 12:00 AM EDT

Nicholas Becher is a gaming journalist with an MFA in Creative Writing from FAU. With extensive experience playing video games, he covers all forms of gaming content at Screen Rant, from breaking news to the latest fan theories. Most-played games range from Clair Obscur to Civ to Elden Ring to Halo 2 and beyond. 

Saw has become one of the most expansive horror franchises of the 21st century, growing far beyond the somewhat straightforward premise of James Wan's original 2004 film. In the decades since, the series has produced nine additional movies, building an increasingly elaborate mythology around John Kramer, better known as Jigsaw, and the disciples who carried on his brutal philosophy.

What began as a grim mystery about two men trapped in a bathroom facing a gruesome choice gradually evolved into a sprawling story focused on Kramer's apprentices and secret accomplices, overlapping timelines, and elaborate new tests, aka "games." Even after Kramer’s death, Saw repeatedly found ways to revisit his legacy, whether through flashbacks, previously unseen victims, or new characters inspired by his methods.

Now, however, the franchise is preparing to push its mythology into genuinely unfamiliar territory with an upcoming prequel that reaches much further into the past than any previous Saw story.

Saw Fans Are About To Play A New Sort Of Game (Literally)

SAW: Genesis is one of the biggest departures the franchise has taken yet, moving its familiar brand of psychological horror away from a linear movie format and into an asymmetrical multiplayer experience. Instead of watching victims navigate Jigsaw's elaborate traps, players will participate directly in the formula through 3v1 matches, with three players controlling the Accused while another takes the role of the Judge.

The new setup fundamentally changes how Saw's horror works. The films largely rely on suspense/mystery, gruesome practical effects, and carefully constructed reveals, but Genesis turns those horror tropes into systems that can play out differently every match. Maps are procedurally generated, while the Accused must cooperate to solve challenges, scavenge supplies, find keys, and escape before time runs out. Meanwhile, the Judge operates from the shadows, using hidden passages, toxins, traps, and even an Accomplice to manipulate the other players.

Perhaps most appropriately for Saw, survival can also require a permanent sacrifice. Players caught in Rehabilitation Traps may have to give up a body part to escape, with injured arms or legs subsequently affecting their ability to solve puzzles, fight, or move efficiently. Even the Judge differs from the virtually untouchable horror villains commonly seen in asymmetrical games, as the character is physically vulnerable and can suffer injury themselves.

The result is a unique adaptation of the movies and an intriguing new interpretation of what Saw can be, and is an interesting direction, though it's unclear just how effective this new approach will be at drawing in franchise fans or newcomers.

SAW: Genesis Is A Prequel Set In The Aftermath Of WWI

Beyond changing Saw's format, Genesis is also heading further back into the franchise's history than any previous installment. Set in the grim aftermath of World War I, the prequel takes place roughly a century before John Kramer begins putting his own victims through Jigsaw's infamous tests, introducing an entirely different figure whose philosophy ultimately helps lay the groundwork for what comes later.

At the center of the story is the Judge, a character shaped by experiences during the Great War who becomes convinced that humanity can be "rehabilitated" through pain and sacrifice. The Judge constructs deadly trials for people known as the Accused, forcing them through traps, tough moral choices, and situations where survival can come at an enormous cost. Players can experience that premise from either perspective, controlling the Judge as they manipulate a trial from behind the scenes or joining three Accused attempting to cooperate their way out of the labyrinth.

Bloober Team describes the Judge as an early architect of the philosophy that would eventually influence Jigsaw, allowing the prequel to expand the mythology without rewriting John Kramer's established origin, providing some much-needed context as to just how this whole mess started out.

SAW: Genesis is being co-developed by Bloober Team's Broken Mirror Games and Anshar Studios, with Bloober Team publishing. Following a recent delay, the game is now scheduled to enter Early Access in Q1 2027, with PC currently the only confirmed platform.

SAW: Genesis

Systems