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Press release:
Thursday, 27th August 2026 – team17 and developer Sonka have today announced that their long-awaited psychological survival-horror game Holstin will launch on PC and consoles – including Xbox Game Pass Day One – in 2027. Set during the early 1990s in an isolated and festering Polish town possessed by an unknown and unseen horror, Holstin combines the feel of classic survival horror games with a setting and art direction that is not seen in other games.

Holstin is built with Sonka’s proprietary 2XD Rendering technology, bringing its sinister pixel art world to life through real-time lighting and dynamic camera perspectives. Players can rotate the camera across eight different angles to explore every ooze-covered corner of Jeziorne-Kolonia, while seamlessly switching between different perspectives depending on the situation. These include an isometric 3D view, an over-the-shoulder perspective during tense combat, first-person driving, top-down exploration, and side-scrolling platforming, creating a visual experience rarely seen in a pixel art game.

The game follows protagonist Tomasz Wolanski on a mission to the rural, lakeside town of Jeziorne-Kolonia in search of his missing friend, an investigative journalist who was last seen there. Surviving the monstrosities that roam the cursed town will require scavenging for weapons, supplies, and anything else that might help keep Tomasz alive. They’ll also need to play along with the delusions of the few remaining townsfolk as their sanity continues to fade. Should players gain their trust, they may provide clues and answers to puzzles, but uncovering their secrets will require cunning and tact.

Holstin painstakingly captures the look and feel of 1990s post-Soviet Eastern Europe, with a particular focus on Poland. Every detail of Jeziorne-Kolonia, from the furniture and household objects to the brands, signage, architecture, and interior design, has been crafted to evoke the era. Faded wallpaper, battered appliances, old advertisements, and everyday objects make the world feel authentic down to the smallest detail. A fully voiced cast in both Polish and English lets players experience this strange and unsettling world in whichever language they prefer.

The atmosphere is further enhanced by a haunting yet soothing soundtrack composed especially for the game by Polish alternative-rock band Heima, featuring full vocals and lyrics in Polish. The group recently released the first single from the game’s soundtrack – “Skaza” – and is available on all major streaming platforms.

A demo for Holstin is also available on Steam, giving brave souls the chance to visit Jeziorne-Kolonia and experience the opening two hours of the game themselves. The demo has also already earned a 94% “Very Positive” rating from 500+ reviews on Steam.

About Sonka
Sonka is a game developer and publisher based in Warsaw, Poland, previously focused on the console market as a publisher and work-for-hire porting company. Worked on over 20 games for Nintendo Switch, best known for Astro Bears development, The Way Remastered publishing, or Duke Nukem 3D port, now focused solely on Holstin’s development.

About team17
Founded in 1990, team17 is part of everplay group plc, and a passionate and creative developer and publisher dedicated to its pioneering independent partners and games. Team17 has an extensive portfolio of over 150 titles that players around the world love for a lifetime, including DREDGE, Date Everything!, and Overcooked!, together with multi-award-winning and award-nominated in-house brands such as Hell Let Loose, Golf With Your Friends, The Escapists, and the iconic Worms franchise. Visit www.team17.com for more information.