Bloober Team recently launched Layers of Fear: The Final Masterpiece Edition on Nintendo Switch 2 following the developer’s day and date release for Cronos: The New Dawn. Last week, I had a chance to chat with Bloober Team’s CEO Piotr Babieno about the Switch 2 hardware, the Nintendo-exclusive upcoming Project M, horror games, wanting to work on an Eternal Darkness remake, a horror game with Samus, future ports, coffee, and much more.
Nintendo Insider: For those unaware, tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got your start in the industry.
Piotr Babieno: Hello, my name is Piotr Babieno. I am the founder and CEO of Bloober Team S.A. After graduating, I became a journalist and wrote extensively about culture in a broad sense, including video games. A few years later, I created Poland’s first website dedicated exclusively to Nintendo, as well as an online store selling Nintendo consoles and games.
I also organized the first Nintendo Fan Conventions in Poland. As a side note, during one of these events we had the pleasure of showcasing what was likely one of the very first playable demos of Resident Evil 4 in the world.
Together with a few colleagues, I decided to establish a game development studio that was meant to create horror games – yes, horror games – specifically for Nintendo platforms. Our first project, which we aimed to develop for the Nintendo Wii, was Sadness. We had a fantastic pre-production phase, but after several years it became clear that we simply did not yet know how to make games.
When we were on the verge of collapse, an investment fund appeared, interested in creating a new entity with us. In practice, this meant a change of name, but also a clear condition: we had to focus on smaller projects. As a result, my dream of creating a horror game for Nintendo platforms had to wait a little longer.
Nintendo Insider: I want to focus on Bloober’s Nintendo platform releases first. How was it for the company releasing multiple horror games on Nintendo Switch?
Piotr Babieno: As you can see, Nintendo DNA runs in my blood, so it was only natural that I was always looking for opportunities to bring our games to Big N platforms. Of course, as a Nintendo fan, I am fully aware that Switch owners are less likely to play multiplatform titles, so we never had overly ambitious sales expectations.
However, every time we create a version for Nintendo platforms, we make a conscious effort to enrich it and deliver the highest possible level of immersion by leveraging the unique features of those platforms. Layers of Fear: The Final Masterpiece Edition is a great example of this approach.
Nintendo Insider: Did the response to those titles from Switch owners drive you to bring Cronos to Switch 2 day one?
Piotr Babieno: To be honest, the moment I learned about NS2, I immediately thought that I would love Cronos to launch on that console simultaneously. At the time, this goal seemed almost impossible to achieve. However, thanks to my persistence, the incredible support of our wonderful friends at Nintendo, and the superhuman effort of our development teams (our team and Pixel Ants Games), we managed to make it happen.
I am extremely proud of this achievement.
Nintendo Insider: Speaking of Cronos, can you go into how soon into development you plan on releasing for Switch 2?
Piotr Babieno: To be honest, as soon as I heard that NS2 was coming…
Nintendo Insider: When looking at your back catalogue, I’m glad to see both Layers of Fear games bundled with new content and enhancements into Layers of Fear: The Final Masterpiece Edition. Would this be the best version of both games and a better experience than every other platform?
Piotr Babieno: That is exactly the plan! We worked closely together with our friends at Pixel Ant Games to ensure this version reaches the highest possible quality. And thanks to the use of NS2’s unique features, Layers of Fear will achieve an entirely new level of immersion.
Nintendo Insider: Are there plans to do a physical (non game key card) version of Layers of Fear: The Final Masterpiece Edition?
Piotr Babieno: There are ongoing discussions. I would very much like this to happen. For now, however, our focus is on the digital release, so that Nintendo players can experience one of the very best horror games on Nintendo Switch 2!
Nintendo Insider: While the title hasn’t been announced, can you go into what players should expect from Project M, the Nintendo platform exclusive horror title from Bloober?
Piotr Babieno: You have no idea how hard it is for me not to reveal what Project M truly is—but for now, it’s still too early to talk about it. We’re confident that we’ll be able to share the first details very soon.
What I can say is this: fans of Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Limbo, and Eternal Darkness will immediately feel at home. That said, Project M introduces a bold twist—one that no horror game has ever explored before. This is a vision that could only exist on Nintendo hardware.
Nintendo Insider: How much development help do you get from Nintendo for taking advantage of the Switch 2 technology?
Piotr Babieno: Without the support of the incredible people at Nintendo, this game would never have had a chance to exist. Their trust guided and empowered us at every step of the journey.
Nintendo Insider: How challenging was it working with UE5 on Switch 2 in Cronos? Is there any chance we will see more updates to the release to bring in modern UE5 features that are currently not present on the Switch 2 port?
Piotr Babieno: At the time of development on Cronos, we faced a number of challenges as the Switch 2 version of Unreal Engine was being fully optimized for the hardware. Our team overcame them and continuously works on improvements to our games on NS2. Whenever new opportunities arise, we will certainly be eager to take full advantage of them.
Nintendo Insider: Looking at your other titles with say Konami, I think Silent Hill 2 would be great to have on Switch 2. Are there plans to bring it over?
Piotr Babieno: This is a matter that can only be addressed by the game’s publisher – Konami.
Nintendo Insider: Are there any plans to bring The Medium to Switch 2?
Piotr Babieno: At this time, we have no such plans. However, if Layers of Fear: The Final Masterpiece Edition reaches a wide audience, we will certainly consider that possibility.
Nintendo Insider: What are your thoughts on the horror game audience across different consoles and PC now as we get into 2026?
Piotr Babieno: Horror has many different shades. More and more traditional game genres are taking on darker tones, which is a natural reflection of where we are as a society today. Whenever something bad happens in the world—wars, crises, pandemics, and the like—horror as a genre tends to grow rapidly.
It’s therefore no surprise that we’re seeing more and more games emerge within this space. There are no major differences between platforms in this regard. I believe that the coming year will be even stronger for horror than the past two years, and I hope we’ll be able to contribute our own small part to that growth.
Nintendo Insider: What have you played in 2025 that you enjoyed a lot?
Piotr Babieno: It’s a bit embarrassing to admit, but over the past year I had so little time that I ended up watching playthroughs far more often than actually playing games myself. That said, aside from our own titles, I spent the most time with Echoes of Wisdom, Pikmin 4, Mario Kart 8—which we often play together as a family—and FC26.
Nintendo Insider: For Layers of Fear, the Switch 2 exclusive release has touch and motion controls. Are there plans to bring in mouse controls in some form?
Piotr Babieno: We support mouse input.
Nintendo Insider: Hypothetical situation. Assuming there are no restrictions or licensing issues, what classic horror game would you like to remake and what series would you like to release a new entry in?
Piotr Babieno: Ha! That’s a fantastic question.
If I had the opportunity, I would definitely take a close look at Eternal Darkness, which remains one of my all-time favorite horror games. Working on the Silent Hill series was a dream of mine that I was fortunate enough to fulfill.
That said, creating a horror game with Samus Aran in the lead role—or a darker, more unsettling take on Link’s adventures—would be absolutely incredible.
Nintendo Insider: Final question: How do you like your coffee? Go into as much detail as possible. If you don’t like coffee, what is your favorite beverage?
Piotr Babieno: Considering how much is going on around us, coffee is one of my best friends. Without it, mornings would be very hard to get through! That said, I’m definitely spending a bit too much time with this friend.
I really wish they consider bringing the Medium to Switch 2 along with Konami allowing them to port SH 2 remake. Konami are morons for not considering this themselves
I like that you asked about a non-Lame Key Card version of the Layers of Fear bundle and that he said he wants that to happen. I think it’s a matter of time before it does and whenever it does? I’ll be ready to get it day one.