Infestation: Origins

Infestation: Origins (originally titled Infestation '88) is an upcoming survival horror game developed and published by Nightmare Forge Games. It features Mickey Mouse as he appeared in the 1928 animated short film Steamboat Willie. It was announced on January 1, 2024, when that film entered the public domain in the United States. The game was released in early access on November 15, 2024.^[1]

Not to be confused with Infestation: Survivor Stories.

Infestation: Origins
Developer(s)	Nightmare Forge Games
Publisher(s)	Nightmare Forge Games
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows
Release	TBA (Early Access November 15, 2024)
Genre(s)	Survival horror
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer

Controversy

Upon its initial announcement, IGN compared the game to the 2023 horror film, Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey, due to a similar situation where Winnie-the-Pooh fell into the public domain.^[2] The game was immediately criticized as an asset flip, and for its alleged use of audio deepfakes instead of voice acting. It was criticized for neo-Nazi themes such as the number 88, and the premise of using gas to exterminate rats.^[3][4] In response to the allegations, the developers renamed the game.^[5]

See also

• Works based on a copyright-free Mickey Mouse