Once more, speculation about a possible Silent Hill announcement is buzzing, this time due to a recent comment from series composer Akira Yamaoka. Konami’s seminal horror franchise has laid dormant for more than half a decade now, its last gasp coming in the form of Hideo Kojima’s regrettably cancelled Silent Hills/P.T. project.
Talk about the series and hope for its potential revival refuses to die down, though. Rumors surface every so often, each alleged detail and claim suggesting a reboot, remake, or sequel. However, none of these claims have been substantiated by Konami itself. In fact, the publisher is no stranger to outright debunking rumors if the need arises. The company’s most recent comment on the matter dates back to early 2020, when a representative insisted that rumors about a new Silent Hill helmed by Kojima Productions, Konami, and Sony were false. Fortunately, that same spokesperson confirmed Konami hadn’t shut the door on the brand, but nothing else of consequence, barring more Silent Hill speculation, has emerged in the many months since.
YouTube channel Al Hub recently conducted an interview with Silent Hill composer Akira Yamaoka regarding his work on the music for Bloober Team’s The Medium. Before the end of the discussion, the interviewer asked Yamaoka when fans can expect to see his next project. The legendary composer responded as follows (via translator): “I think you’ll probably hear something this summer to be announced. And I think it’s the one that you’re kind of hoping to hear about.” Naturally, fans are assuming the announcement in question is Silent Hill-related, though both the interviewer and translator made it clear they were speaking in “general” terms.
While Silent Hill certainly represents Yamaoka’s most notable work, there’s at least one other major project he could be referencing. Amid all of the Cyberpunk 2077 controversy, it’s easy to forget that Netflix and CD Projekt Red are partnering with Studio Trigger to produce an anime, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, which Yamaoka will take part in. Perhaps that will serve as the summer 2021 announcement he teased? Though that may seem like a stretch given the way in which he answered the question, the high hopes for Silent Hill’s revival are starting to feel equally farfetched.
At least the wait to find out for sure won’t be a long one, since summer is right around the corner. But fans of the composer can check out his latest work in The Medium, a horror title from the Layers of Fear creators that’s currently available on PC and Xbox Series X|S.
