John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando Interview – Hordes, Boss Fights, Nintendo Switch 2, And More

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With the release of the co-op shooter John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando nearing, Tim Willits, the creative chief at Saber Interactive, recently shared details about the game with us. We discussed several aspects, including how enemy groups have developed, the importance of vehicles, and how the studio’s experience with realistic driving games like SnowRunner influenced the vehicle-based challenges.

Saber Interactive is famous for its games where players face massive waves of enemies. How much of this signature horde-based combat was created while developing Space Marine 2?

Here at Saber, we’ve spent years developing our own game engine, called The Swarm Engine. For Space Marine 2, we significantly improved this technology to create truly massive and cinematic battles. We focused on things like smoother animations, smarter enemy movement, and clearer combat—even with hundreds of enemies on screen—so players can experience huge, intense fights without losing track of the action. It’s not just about having more enemies; it’s about smarter, more challenging enemies in larger environments, all orchestrated by our unique AI system.

Now with Toxic Commando, we’re blowing it out of the water.

“The scale became more epic. The battles became more cinematic.”

We’re adding new enemy types and making enemy groups behave more unpredictably. We’ve also significantly upgraded the AI Director, which now constantly analyzes the game world to create dynamic and engaging encounters. To support this, we’re expanding the game world, adding vehicles, destructible terrain, and giving players more strategic choices.

The challenges in this world are larger and more complex, meaning enemies don’t just appear as isolated targets. Instead, you’ll face coordinated attacks that require teamwork and using all available resources to survive, and each fight will unfold uniquely.

Saber uses its own special technology, the Swarm Engine, to build incredibly detailed and massive battles that are hard to find in other games.

Aside from the standard hordes of enemies, what kind of special enemies can we expect?

Beyond the regular enemies, we’ve created a diverse range of special enemies to make battles more interesting. For instance, the Skunk emits a poisonous red gas that harms you over time and also strengthens nearby enemies – ignoring it can quickly make the whole horde much more dangerous. The Stalker attacks from a distance with both quick and powerful shots, but its most dangerous ability is to immobilize vehicles, forcing you to exit and destroy the tentacles that are holding it in place. We also have the Nuker, an enemy that explodes up close, and a Fire Nuker version that creates a burning area, turning safe spaces into temporary hazards. The Goon is a large, powerful enemy that will rush you, grab you, and quickly defeat you if your teammates don’t intervene. These special enemies aren’t just tougher versions of the regular enemies; they’re designed to add complexity to combat and force players to adapt their strategies. Plus, we have a few more surprises in store for players to uncover!

Will there be any epic boss fights that promote a greater degree of teamwork and problem-solving?

With Toxic Commando, we wanted to move away from typical boss fights and create exciting, team-based battles that demand strategy and coordination. Our unique Swarm Engine lets us combine huge, unpredictable enemy waves with powerful special enemies and epic boss encounters. The mastermind behind it all is the Sludge God, who doesn’t just send enemies – he actively changes the battlefield and throws dynamic creatures into the mix, creating chaotic situations. These encounters aren’t just about defeating a boss; players need to control the swarms, adapt to changing environments, and deal with special threats. We put a lot of effort into making both regular combat and these large-scale events varied and fun.

Our unique Swarm Engine lets us create huge, ever-changing battles with special enemies, and then top it off with epic boss fights.

How large of a role will vehicles play in the course of a standard mission?

In Toxic Commando, vehicles are essential – they’re not just for getting around, but a key part of how the game is played. The world is huge and full of danger, making vehicles the best way to travel, especially when enemies attack. Passengers can shoot from the windows or use mounted guns, turning every trip into a battle. Your main truck also has tools to help you survive, like an EMP blast to wipe out groups of enemies and a grapple hook to escape tricky terrain. The game is at its best when players each drive their own vehicle, forming a powerful team as they explore the map. Those moments, driving with friends, are always the most fun.

Saber Interactive, the team behind realistic driving games like SnowRunner, is working on Toxic Commando. Will that same attention to detail and challenging vehicle-based situations be present in the new game?

We’ve built a lot of experience with vehicle simulation through games like SnowRunner, and we used that knowledge to create the vehicles in Toxic Commando. However, we focused heavily on making the driving experience enjoyable. While our vehicles feel realistic – considering things like weight, traction, and how they interact with the terrain – we’ve adjusted them to be fun and engaging, not frustrating. Toxic Commando is an action game first, so we wanted the vehicles to enhance the gameplay, not slow it down. We aimed for a balance between realistic vehicle handling and exciting action, and we believe we’ve achieved that – the driving adds tension and strategy to the game without taking away from the combat.

Just how much can we customize the vehicle? Specifically, can we change the machine gun on top, or are we limited to that one option?

In Toxic Commando, vehicles are designed to add strategic depth and keep the gameplay unpredictable. Vehicles appear randomly – you won’t know what kind of vehicle you’ll find or where it will be. To help with this, each vehicle type always has the same weapon attached. We did this on purpose! While you can upgrade vehicle stats as you progress, the core features of each vehicle stay fixed, encouraging players to think carefully about how they use them. This also makes each mission feel different. Sometimes you might start a level without a vehicle nearby, forcing you to search for one or proceed on foot. This unpredictability is a key part of the game, ensuring every session is unique. However, you can customize how your vehicle looks – you can change the color, honk sound, add graffiti, and even modify the headlights.

Since vehicles appear randomly, varying in both model and where they appear on the map, we’ve linked certain weapons to particular types of vehicles.

Aside from the story itself, will Toxic Commando feature any other form of player progression?

I’m really excited about how Toxic Commando lets you keep improving your character even after you finish the main story! If you’ve played Space Marine 2, you’ll get how it works – it’s a similar system. Basically, the more you play as a specific class, the better that class gets. You unlock cool upgrades and make that class even more powerful over time, and the best part is, your progress carries over between missions! So even after a tough session, you’re still building up your long-term character.

Beyond simply leveling up, you can also improve your weapons and gear. As you play, you’ll collect resources to customize your equipment, letting you build a playstyle that suits you best. We aimed to make players feel like their time is well-spent and that they have real control over how their characters develop. This creates a game you’ll want to play again and again, encourages you to try different character types, and gives you a satisfying sense of becoming more powerful with each session.

Could you explain how missions generally play out in Toxic Commando? Will players have a lot of freedom to explore, or will the game guide them along a set path from start to finish?

In Toxic Commando, each mission has a main goal, but you’re free to tackle it however you like. We wanted to avoid a rigid, linear path. Instead, missions are designed to let you explore and make your own choices. You’ll find optional side missions you can complete in any order, and finishing them gives you helpful rewards during the mission, making the final challenge easier. How you approach these side missions and the main objective is up to you – it depends on your playstyle, what vehicles are available, and how prepared you want to be for the end.

To keep things fresh, we’ve added an element of surprise by changing the locations of some objectives each time you play. While players can head straight for the main goal, we’ve found the most enjoyment comes from exploring the world, finding optional objectives, uncovering rewards, and taking advantage of the environment. This mix of clear goals and player freedom makes every mission feel unique, encourages replayability, and supports teamwork.

To keep each playthrough fresh, we’ve added an element of surprise by occasionally changing the locations of objectives.

For the PS5, PS5 Pro, and Xbox Series X versions of the game, what resolution and frame rate are you hoping to achieve? Will there be different visual settings players can choose from, like a mode prioritizing resolution or frame rate?

The game will run at up to 2160p resolution and 45 frames per second on both Xbox Series X and the new PS5 Pro, depending on the graphics settings you choose. On PlayStation 5, it will target 2160p at 30fps in Quality mode, but run at 1440p at 45fps in Performance mode. We’re offering two graphics modes – Quality and Performance – to let you prioritize visual fidelity or smoother gameplay on all platforms.

The Xbox Series S remains a key component of the Xbox platform. What were the most significant technical hurdles when adapting the game for the Series S, and what strategies did the development team use to optimize performance?

The Xbox Series S is a key platform for our studio, and we’re fully committed to supporting it. We’ve previously used our Swarm Engine on Xbox Series S titles, which gave us a strong understanding of how to optimize large battles and complex gameplay for the system’s hardware. With Toxic Commando, our focus was on maintaining the core gameplay experience while ensuring consistently smooth performance. We’re very pleased with how Toxic Commando runs on all platforms, including the Series S, and we’re confident players on every system will enjoy the game’s intensity and scale.

Could you explain how you’re using the PlayStation 5’s fast storage and DualSense controller, or the Xbox’s Velocity Architecture, to make the game more immersive and load faster?

Currently, we haven’t added features that take advantage of specific gaming platforms, like the advanced feedback from PlayStation’s DualSense controller, adaptive triggers, or Xbox’s fast loading technology.

Given the capabilities of newer gaming hardware to create bigger, more detailed game worlds, did the developers ever think about making a version for the Switch 2? If not, was that because the Switch 2 wasn’t powerful enough, the game was too ambitious, or simply a decision about which platforms to focus on?

I’m still holding out hope for a Switch 2! They haven’t said it’s not happening, and they’re definitely keeping their options open. Knowing how well they’ve supported the original Switch, I’m really excited about the possibility of them making awesome games for the next one too. They seem committed to doing as much as they can on the new platform, which is fantastic news for fans like me!

“There’s a strong emphasis on cross-class synergy in Toxic Commando.”

The game features four different character classes. How well do these classes work together, and are there powerful combinations that require a team of all four to execute effectively?

In Toxic Commando, teamwork between different character classes is key. Each of the four classes is effective on its own and can help any team, but the game is truly exciting when players combine their skills. We specifically created the class abilities to work well together – for instance, abilities that control enemies can create opportunities for powerful attacks, defensive skills can protect players while completing objectives, and support abilities can help the team survive tough situations. We want to encourage players to coordinate and communicate, while still allowing for creative strategies. The game is at its best when a full team works together and flawlessly executes a series of combined abilities during a hectic fight.

Does improving a character only affect that character, or are there upgrades that help your entire team?

In Toxic Commando, your progress is unique to you. As you play, you’ll unlock new abilities, weapons, and improvements that are saved to your profile. The more you focus on a particular playstyle or character build, the more powerful they’ll become, letting you grow at your own pace.

During missions, players need to work together. Everyone in the squad can benefit from things found during the mission, like using spare parts to build defenses. There’s also a shared resource called “sludgite” – whoever finds it makes it available to the whole team. While players progress individually overall, surviving and gaining an edge in any given mission requires teamwork.

SnowRunner is known for its challenging terrain and getting vehicles stuck. But in the multiplayer game Toxic Commando, what happens when a vehicle gets bogged down in the mud? Does the team then have to focus on defending it from enemies while another player tries to pull it free, turning the situation into a kind of ‘last stand’ scenario?

Don’t worry, you’re not actually going to need to push! But seriously, the mud can cause issues if you’re not paying attention. While Toxic Commando isn’t a realistic driving simulator, the type of ground you’re on still affects things, and getting stuck at a bad time could really slow you down.

Fortunately, your truck has a winch to help you escape tough spots. Other vehicles aren’t so reliable, and if you get stuck, your team might have to provide cover while the driver tries to get unstuck. If it’s really bad, the whole squad might have to leave the vehicle behind and continue on foot.

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2026-03-11 22:15