Two of Japan’s wildest minds in gaming have finally done it. Hidetaka “Swery” Suehiro (Deadly Premonition) and Goichi “Suda51” Suda (No More Heroes) have teamed up to unleash Hotel Barcelona, a surreal horror-action mashup launching tomorrow, September 26, 2025, for Xbox Series X|S and PC.
A Hotel Where Death Checks In
At the centre of Hotel Barcelona is rookie U.S. Marshal Justine, trapped in a nightmare hotel where reality warps across seven twisted wings. Each area throws new slashers, sinister guests, and lore-soaked horrors into the mix. The deeper you go, the more you’ll question not just what’s real, but what you believe.
This isn’t your typical haunted corridor crawl. The game blends hack ’n’ slash chaos with roguelite unpredictability, where echoes of your past runs can come back as phantom allies-or enemies. Every attempt reshapes the nightmare.
Multiplayer With Bite
Revealed during Xbox Tokyo Game Show 2025, Hotel Barcelona’s multiplayer is built to make the horror even weirder. You can:
- Co-op: Team up with two friends and carve through slashers together. Every run adapts to your squad’s approach, mixing strategy with pure carnage.
- PvP Invasion: Step into someone else’s game as a hostile doppelgänger. Win the duel and earn a Bloody Marshal Badge plus weapon upgrades. Lose, and you’re hotel dust.
One run you’re laughing at killer tomatoes in the hotel restaurant, the next you’re screaming because your mate just betrayed you. No two check-ins are ever the same.
Born From a Joke, Built Into a Monster
The idea first sparked in 2019 when Swery guest-starred at one of Suda’s infamous talk shows. Half as a joke, they said: “Let’s make a game called Hotel Barcelona.” A few dinners and tweets later, it became real. Suda built the hotel’s world and survival rules, while Swery and his White Owls Inc. team expanded it into characters, systems, and story. The goal: not a tribute to one horror film, but a love letter to the whole genre-from ‘80s slashers to modern nightmares.
A Murderer’s Row of Talent
Backing the duo is a stacked creative line-up:
- Character designs: Hiroaki (Tekken 8, Street Fighter 6, King of Fighters)
- Art direction: Atsushi Kawasaki (Lord of Vermilion, Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin)
- Audio: Technouchi (Demon’s Souls, Dark Souls)
- Anime cutscenes: Saho Nanjo (Chainsaw Man, Beastars)
The result? A fever dream of cult horror wrapped in sharp art, haunting soundscapes, and sly nods to both directors’ past work.
Double the Chaos
“Instead of one movie, we wanted to honour the entire horror genre,” Swery explains. For him, teaming with Suda was a milestone: “It’s double the impact, double the chaos, and double the fun. Two crazy energies collide, making one game full of power. I believe it’s the best I’ve ever made.”
Check In Tomorrow
Whether you’re here for the slashers, the roguelite twists, or the sheer madness of a Swery x Suda collab, Hotel Barcelona is ready to open its doors.
Hotel Barcelona launches September 26, 2025 on Xbox Series X|S and PC (Xbox Play Anywhere).
Check in. Wipe ’em out. Burn it down.