Team Clout Unveils Massive ILL Gameplay Details
Team Clout, the studio behind the highly anticipated horror shooter, ILL, has opened up about a wealth of new gameplay details, responding directly to community questions. The developers shared insights into the game's puzzles, dynamic dismemberment system, monster behavior, and other critical aspects, lifting the veil on what to expect from one of the genre's most atmospheric and desired projects.
The Meaning Behind the Name
The name 'ILL' was chosen to convey an atmosphere of horror and a dark, twisted mood. The developers sought a word that would evoke feelings of sickness, perversion, or a curse, while being intrinsically linked to the game's world. 'ILL' perfectly fit the bill, as it's intricately woven into the objects, enemies, and overall atmosphere, becoming a crucial part of the entire experience.
Development Status and Evolution
While a precise percentage of completion is hard to state, the crucial pre-production phase has concluded. The team now has a clear and detailed understanding of the project's content and is actively working on creating enemies, locations, and other elements of the ILL world. The storyline is finalized, and cutscene filming has just begun. Much of the journey has been covered, but there's still considerable work ahead.
Since the initial concept trailers in 2021, the game has undergone significant changes. The developers refined ideas, clarified the scope, and honed the implementation methods. Some early concepts were discarded, while others evolved and expanded. Enemies have become more diverse and expressive, the world has grown larger and more complex, and the story has deepened. Despite these changes, the core idea remains constant, and the team continues to create the exact experience they envisioned from the very beginning.
Partnership with Mundfish and Team Growth
The collaboration with Mundfish marked the true beginning of large-scale development for ILL. The company provided a strong foundation for the team and continues to offer support, especially in technical areas. Importantly, Mundfish deeply values the game's creative approach and uniqueness, granting the developers full creative freedom. This is a full partnership with deep involvement in all processes. Since the collaboration began, the team has grown from 8 to approximately 50 people, making the developers feel much more confident.
Soundtrack Changes and Demo Prospects
Marcos Ortega, also known as Lorn, is no longer working on ILL's soundtrack, as he has chosen to focus on his personal projects. The developers parted ways amicably and do not rule out future collaboration. Team Clout has noted the high demand for a game demo and appreciates the community's interest. However, the developers are currently fully focused on core development and are not ready to seriously discuss a demo release yet. Nevertheless, they are considering this possibility in the future if it proves feasible.
Pricing, Physical Release, and Tech Specs
The exact price has not yet been announced. ILL is a substantial, story-focused game, and the developers aim to set a fair price that reflects the volume of content, aligning with standard market rates. A physical release will be available upon launch.
While it's too early to announce precise system requirements, the project is being developed on Unreal Engine 5, utilizing technologies like Nanite, Lumen, virtual shadow maps, and ray tracing. These technologies help create an intensely realistic and grim horror atmosphere. Playing the game on high settings on PC will require powerful hardware, but the team is committed to optimizing the title well, ensuring as many players as possible can enjoy it comfortably without sacrificing quality. The game will support modern upscaling technologies like DLSS and FSR to ensure smooth gameplay and high-quality graphics across various hardware setups. Ray tracing is also planned for global illumination, reflections, shadows, and ambient occlusion, further enhancing the atmosphere and visuals.
The project will not support DirectX 11, as key rendering technologies such as Nanite and the advanced lighting system require modern APIs and cannot function correctly on DX11. ILL is unlikely to exceed 100 gigabytes or more, unlike some modern games with extensive content. The exact file size will be revealed closer to the completion of development.
VR and Game Length
The developers at Team Clout find VR an interesting direction and admire how titles like Resident Evil integrated VR modes post-release, offering new experiences even for those who had already completed the game. However, for ILL, the team is focused on the original concept without VR—this is how the creators envision the core ILL experience, and they are fully dedicating their efforts to this version. Currently, they lack VR development experience, so requests for such a mode are approached with caution. Nevertheless, if there is significant and vocal demand for VR after the game's release, the developers will consider if they can find the resources to implement the idea. The project will be concentrated and intense, without drawn-out moments. The creators aim for an optimal playtime—not too long to become tedious, but not too short to feel unfinished. On average, the game is expected to take between 10 and 12 hours to complete, though this is a preliminary estimate and may change during development.
Story, Characters, and World
ILL will feature many diverse characters; the game tells its story through cinematic cutscenes and dialogues. Characters will be memorable and have their own agendas, leading to constant tension and distrust—you'll never know what to expect next or who to trust. The game will include interactive NPCs, who may sometimes assist with tasks and influence progression.
The main portion of the game unfolds within a mysterious fortress, featuring tight, gloomy corridors that create a sense of claustrophobia and isolation, where brutal monsters and a sinister force hunt you. However, as shown in the Summer Game Fest 2025 trailer, there will also be more open spaces, including outdoor daytime locations. These areas promise to be just as tense and terrifying. For instance, in one sequence, the character shoots a monster's head off in the street—and that's just a glimpse of what awaits players. The main character will be voiced. Since the story plays a key role, full of unexpected twists and unsettling revelations, it's crucial to convey the character's emotions clearly. His personal stake in the events helps to deepen immersion through the protagonist's voice and thoughts.
Combat and Progression Systems
ILL will feature character progression and weapon upgrades via a workbench. By collecting resources, you can enhance weapon stats and find various attachments. Over time, the hero's equipment will expand with items that unlock access to new and previously inaccessible locations. Players will need to maintain their weapons, as they can jam at the most inopportune moments, potentially costing your life. The developers were inspired by the inventory system from the Resident Evil 4 remake, but plan to add their own unique solutions. The main goal is to make it convenient for players to store rare resources and eventually craft items that can influence the outcome of combat. More details are promised closer to the game's release.
The revolver isn't the only pistol in the game. The arsenal will feature many different weapon types, including heavy firearms like shotguns, rifles, and others. Additionally, the developers promise several unusual and inventive weapons, without revealing further details. Melee combat will also be present. Beyond firearms, you'll be able to use various cold weapons to fight monsters with maximum brutality and impact. Players can also kick enemies—this is a full gameplay mechanic. Kicks consume stamina and serve to push back opponents and interrupt their attacks.
Dynamic Dismemberment and Enemy Reactions
Previously, a shotgun blast to the stomach would create holes and special bleeding wound effects. Recent videos have focused more on limb fractures. The final version plans for every shot to visibly alter the point of impact—damage will be localized and noticeable. Limb damage will affect enemy behavior: some will slow down, some will become more aggressive, or change their attack style. The Summer Game Fest 2025 trailer showed an enemy losing an arm and looking at the empty space. Monsters react to wounds, feel pain, and scream—making it clear they are alive. Such changes not only influence combat but also intensify feelings of anxiety and fear.
Enemies will be able to use environmental objects for attacks, including torn body parts of defeated foes. Physics and monster interaction with the world play a vital role: they can throw objects and even collide with each other in agony. Detached limbs will also pose a threat. ILL will feature an active Ragdoll system—physics will combine with pre-recorded animations to make falls and movements appear more natural. The dismemberment system in ILL will be fully dynamic: players can shoot off limbs, explode heads, and tear enemies apart with extreme detail. The developers aim to bring back the satisfying feeling of quality damage animations from older games, making the process as enjoyable and impactful as possible. Player death scenes won't be overly bloody, but players can certainly expect vivid and brutal moments—for instance, enemies may attack the hero's face directly and provoke other terrifying situations. Older, bloated monsters from early teasers have been reworked, with improved appearances and added new details.
Boss Fights and Puzzles
Boss fights will be in the game, some already shown in the official trailer. These battles will be intense and demand maximum endurance and skill from players. The mini-boss from the trailer remains but has had its appearance changed. It is now considered a regular enemy, not a boss. ILL will feature puzzles reminiscent in style and complexity to those found in Resident Evil. They are designed not to hinder immersion or slow the pace, but rather to heighten tension. Puzzles play an important role but remain part of the atmosphere, as the core of ILL is survival and action with horror elements.
Release Platforms and Outlook
ILL promises to deliver bone-chilling horror and advanced physics on PC (Steam), Xbox Series, and PlayStation 5. There is no release date for the project yet. The game will feature Russian text localization.
These extensive details paint a clearer picture of ILL's ambitious scope and commitment to delivering a truly visceral and immersive horror experience. Players can look forward to a game that not only looks stunning but also offers deep combat mechanics, unsettling enemy encounters, and a compelling, tension-filled narrative.
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