{"rewrite":{"id":"r_22fe637288cb8d6c5b641a04","clusterId":"c_fcd7ff25fbacc9dfcc543219","slug":"blackwood-release-date-set-for-september-17","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"Blackwood Release Date Set for September 17","summary":"IZilla Games and AttritoM7 Productions have set a release date for BLACKWOOD, a third-person action thriller about a hitman who runs a DVD shop by day. The game launches on Steam for PC on September 17 in Japan, with a global release on September 16. Set in New York in 2012, players control Anton Blackwood, who manages a small DVD store during the day and works as a contract killer at night. The combat is described as fast and stylish, featuring dives, rolls, and slides to avoid enemy fire, along with numerous takedown moves. The DVD shop includes management elements such as restocking, inventory organization, and pricing, with profits funding the protagonist's night-time equipment. The story, influenced by Marvel works, involves a shadowy figure monitoring and manipulating Anton's double life. The game is structured as a three-part episodic release: Act 1 arrives at launch, with Act 2 and Act 3 following as free updates in 2027. The price increases with each Act: $24.99 at launch, $29.99 after Act 2, and $34.99 after Act 3.","whyItMatters":"The pricing model, which raises the full-game price with each episode release, is an unusual structure that rewards early purchase and could set a precedent for how episodic games are monetized.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eThe studio first announced \u003cem\u003eBLACKWOOD\u003c/em\u003e in October 2025. The release date was previously set for the third quarter of 2026 before landing on September 17 in Japan.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAttritoM7 Productions is based in Bangladesh. The studio previously developed \u003cem\u003eZero Hour\u003c/em\u003e, a tactical FPS about special forces. That game drew attention for its realistic, tactical gameplay and has roughly 28,000 Steam user reviews, with 79 percent positive at the time of writing.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe episodic structure breaks down by Act, with each act containing its own side missions and content beyond the main story:\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eAct 1 (September 16, 2026): four main missions, priced at $24.99, with side missions and extras totaling over six hours of play.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eAct 2 (March 2027): four main missions, price rises to $29.99.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eAct 3 (September 2027): five main missions, price rises to $34.99, and includes a branch leading to an alternate ending.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEach act is structured to work as a standalone story while also advancing the main narrative. Patches between major acts may add new side missions and smaller content. The studio emphasized that the game is not unfinished early access, saying Act 1 is a complete part of the whole, and that the episodic format lets players experience the game sooner while giving the team time to make the remaining acts.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"BLACKWOOD's price goes up with each episode release: $24.99 at launch, $29.99 after Act 2, $34.99 after Act 3. Early buyers get the full game for less.","twitterPost":"BLACKWOOD is a John Wick-style action thriller where a DVD shop owner works as a hitman at night. The shop management directly funds your assassination gear. Launching September 17 on Steam.","threadsPost":null,"newsletterBlurb":"BLACKWOOD, the stylish assassin action game from the Zero Hour studio, launches September 17 on Steam. It opens with Act 1 and raises its price with each of the two planned episodes. The game blends DVD shop management with contract killing in 2012 New York.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Automaton\",\"url\":\"https://automaton-media.com/articles/newsjp/20260827-463311/\",\"title\":\"注目の暗殺者二重生活ゲーム『BLACKWOOD』9月17日発売へ。\\\"ジョン・ウィックみたい\\\"と話題の多彩ガンフー、DVD屋で稼いだ金を暗殺装備に注ぎこむ\"},{\"source\":\"Game Spark\",\"url\":\"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/08/27/171367.html\",\"title\":\"ジョン・ウィック風アクションスリラー『BLACKWOOD』配信日決定！ 三部構成のエピソード形式で順次配信\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":12607,"outputTokens":1402,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1787887548,"createdAt":"2026-08-28T03:19:01.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-08-28T03:21:45.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-28T03:19:01.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_fcd7ff25fbacc9dfcc543219","canonicalTitle":"注目の暗殺者二重生活ゲーム『BLACKWOOD』9月17日発売へ。“ジョン・ウィックみたい”と話題の多彩ガンフー、DVD屋で稼いだ金を暗殺装備に注ぎこむ","representativeArticleId":"a_fe80a15cdb9384850dbeb92c","sourceCount":2,"writtenSourceCount":2,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":false,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[\"BLACKWOOD\"],\"studios\":[\"IZilla Games\",\"AttritoM7 Productions\"],\"people\":[],\"type\":\"release\",\"domain\":\"games\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-08-26T22:17:52.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-08-27T06:30:04.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-28T03:21:46.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Automaton","url":"https://automaton-media.com/articles/newsjp/20260827-463311/","title":"注目の暗殺者二重生活ゲーム『BLACKWOOD』9月17日発売へ。“ジョン・ウィックみたい”と話題の多彩ガンフー、DVD屋で稼いだ金を暗殺装備に注ぎこむ"},{"source":"Game Spark","url":"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/08/27/171367.html","title":"ジョン・ウィック風アクションスリラー『BLACKWOOD』配信日決定！ 三部構成のエピソード形式で順次配信"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":["BLACKWOOD"],"studios":["IZilla Games","AttritoM7 Productions"],"people":[],"type":"release","domain":"games","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["BLACKWOOD launches on Steam for PC on September 16 globally and September 17 in Japan.","The game's price starts at $24.99, rises to $29.99 after Act 2, and $34.99 after Act 3.","Act 1 launches with the game and includes four main missions with over six hours of gameplay.","Act 2 is scheduled for March 2027 with four main missions, and Act 3 for September 2027 with five main missions and branching endings.","AttritoM7 Productions is based in Bangladesh and previously developed the tactical FPS Zero Hour."]}