Killing Floor 3 Nightfall News: Another Day at the Zed Factory
Just over a year ago, we gave the world their first look at Killing Floor 3, featuring the gloriously horrific assembly of a fleshpound, followed by the reveal of an entire warehouse of ready-made zeds prepped to tear humanity limb from limb. Don’t you just want to go there? See the sights? Traverse the corridors while breathing in that (literally) intoxicating new zed smell? Well, you’re in luck!
It’s officially time to confirm that the Horzine Factory will be one of 7 maps playable in Killing Floor 3 at launch. Join us in this installment of Nightfall News as we dive deeper into the lore and gameplay elements of this twisted cog in the Horzine bioweapon machine.
SITREP
At the Cochran Assembly site in Drayton, TX, an entire army of zeds has accidentally awakened due to “internal sabotage.” Seeing this as an opportunity for an up-close look at how the blood sausage is made, Nightfall’s objective is to infiltrate the factory, exterminate the faulty zeds, and gather any inside info they may find along the way.
Enter in Case of Emergency
Blueprints for the Cochran Assembly Site in Drayton, TX outline 3 key focal points: The Control Room, the Factory Floor, and the Foundry. Gloomy corridors, observation decks, and storage facilities interconnect each.
Nightfall intelligence has also pointed out significant flaws in the facility’s infrastructure and cybersecurity. For Horzine the Cochran Assembly site was a giant Sword of Damocles, but to the Nightfall team, it’s a buffet of exploitable features and hackable tech.
Behind Enemy Lines
To operate successfully, the squad must be wary of this factory’s many twists and turns. As the zed horde begins to gather, it’s important to establish action and recovery zones quickly by using the environments to your advantage.
The three main focal points within the factory will be your key locations to utilize your gadgets, kite hordes, and lure zeds into environmental traps, but may leave you exposed and overwhelmed while disengaging to heal or resupply.
Thankfully the corridors—many of which have steel-reinforced hydraulic doorways—can be used to suppress overwhelming hordes, and are ideal for strategically placing resupplies of ammo and syringes. But remember, these are zeds we’re talking about. So those doors are only going to hold for so long.
As the zeds become increasingly aware of your presence, you’ll have less time to plan. So establishing these action and recovery zones early will be critical to the mission’s success.
DESIGN NOTES
“The aesthetic of this map draws inspiration from real-world references and imaginative concepts. It showcases a chilling fusion of industrial innovation and manufacturing horror, where AI-driven machines now produce fresh Zeds for the world. Once a symbol of productivity, this desolate factory has become a hub of death and chaos.
Key goals for the map included:
- Creating an Immersive Atmosphere: Using lighting, sound, and set design to fully engage players.
- Evoking Emotional Responses: Incorporating dark hallways and distinctive interiors to inspire fear, suspense, and curiosity.
- Highlighting Unique Features: Showcasing industrial elements like conveyor belts, pipes, assembly machinery and of course the occasional corpse, to enhance the experience.”
-Misty Bokkes, Lead Environment Artist
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Thanks for stopping by for another Nightfall News briefing! If you’d like to take a deeper inside look at the Horzine Factory, head on over to our YouTube channel an check out the announcement trailer behind the scenes making-of video! And to stay up to date on all things Killing Floor, please join the awesome community members on Discord, Bluesky, Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, Reddit and the Tripwire official forums.