Why Horror Fans Should Mark June 23 on Their Calendar

Summary

Oblivion Remastered's surprise release on April 22 impacted smaller indies, like the retro survival-horror game, Post Trauma.
Post Trauma will now have a "re-release" on June 23, 2025, that includes community events and giveaways.
Post Trauma's re-release strategy is consumer-friendly and could help it regain attention during the slower summer period.

Post Trauma may not be the most talked-about title in the current gaming discussion. This new indie that invokes the feel of the PS2 era and the spirit of Silent Hill's psychological survival horror was released not too long ago, on April 22. The date itself may be more familiar, as that's when Post Trauma was placed in a bit of an unfortunate situation, being blindsided by the surprise release of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered. Bethesda chose to shadow-drop the long-rumored and hugely anticipated update of the classic 2005 fourth major entry in its popular series on the same day.

That wasn't even when the debut game by Red Soul Games and publisher Raw Fury was originally intended to be out. First set for Spring 2024, and then October, which turned into March 31, 2025, Post Trauma finally had a last-minute delay to April 22. Given how this put it in the crossfire of Oblivion Remastered, the companies recently announced that they are doing a "re-release" of Post Trauma not too far into the future, on June 23, 2025. While unorthodox, this could also allow Post Trauma the space needed to garner some attention back and give horror fans the chance to check out a great game they may have missed as well.

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By Drew Swanson

Post Trauma 'Re-releasing' on June 23 Is a Clever Move and a Nice Treat for Horror Fans

Oblivion Remastered's Shadowdrop Eclipsed Almost Everything Else Around It

Release windows, particularly for indie titles, can be tricky to get right. Avoiding major AAA releases is obvious, but something like Oblivion Remastered's stealth drop is a potential hurdle that can't really be planned or accounted for in advance. When Bethesda revealed that it was available immediately upon the conclusion of its showcase, this put Post Trauma in the path of the juggernaut that Oblivion Remastered was inevitably going to be, no matter when it released. Through no fault of its own, the smaller title was easily overshadowed by one of the biggest and most desired releases in recent memory.

Another title, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, also found itself near Oblivion Remastered's blast radius, dropping just two days later, but quickly became highly acclaimed and now boasts impressive sales numbers. Still, Oblivion Remastered snatched a lot of attention away from other games like Post Trauma that released around the same time and that might otherwise have had more eyes on them.

Post Trauma's 'Re-release' Strategy Could Help it Get a Second Wind This Summer

In response to the timing and in a good-spirited move, Raw Fury and Red Soul stated that Post Trauma will “spiritually re-release” on June 23, although it isn't being "un-released"(as it was jovially described) beforehand. While the game itself will remain unchanged, with no updates or additional content as yet, it was noted that during this re-release, players will be able to participate in giveaways and other community events.

Rolling with the unexpected punch of Oblivion Remastered in this way is a fan-friendly move that could pay off well. It might bring focus to Post Trauma that it initially lost, and give it a boost during a period that's usually slower for horror and gaming in general. Post Trauma could find itself a potential sleeper hit among horror enthusiasts, as this might be a good window for it to see a resurgence of sorts. At the time of writing, Post Trauma has a Very Positive rating on Steam, and it launched on consoles as well. Ahead of some of the other anticipated horror titles set to drop in 2025, its "second release" could be just the thing to give it a bump and allow more players to give it a go.

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