Last Updated on Sep 18, 2025 @ 11:04:34 AM.
Saber Interactive has made quite a buzz over the last few years with their proprietary Swarm tech, seen in the likes of World War Z and more recently, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2. With what feels like thousands of enemies encroaching on your position at any one time, it doesn’t matter if it’s Tyranids or zombies; it’s always tense and terrifying.
Next up to use the tech, and a new, updated version of it, is John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando, where players are tasked with working their way through maps, completing missions, and dispatching the undead horde in gruesome, glorious fashion. Having played it at Gamescom 2025, it’s as mental and over-the-top as it sounds and should be. However, during a chat with Saber Interactive’s CCO Tim Willits, it turns out he prefers to play the co-op shooter on his own, rather than with teammates, and the reasoning is solid.
“I actually like to play Toxic Commando by myself. Yeah, because there is story mode, which is the easiest difficulty level, and the world is so big. There are lots of different things to do and explore, and you know when you play with three friends, there’s always that one guy that wants to ‘Leroy Jenkins’, and it’s like ‘what are you doing?’, but when you have three AI with you, you’re like boss man.”
He paused before continuing on, offering his advice for players in the future:
“Yeah, so, like, the best way to play it, in my personal opinion, is with two friends. So you have one bot, because that one bot will always revive me, because you know your friends are never going to… And the bot will revive me before he picks up the loot. And you know your friends are going to pick up all the loot. Or they’ll be like, ‘just respawn when you respawn’. Be like, dude, you could just revive me. But the bot will run over and be like, ‘I got you!'”
So there you have it. From the mouth of one of the head honchos involved with the game, the best way to play John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando is with only two friends, and one AI that’ll do the heavy lifting for all of you. If all else fails, whack it on the easiest setting and just have the most fun possible, all on your own.
John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando releases in 2026 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
For more Thumb Wars, go and see what the Senior Producer had to say about 007 First Light’s gadgets, or our opinion on our recent preview with The Lift.
Luke Addison is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Thumb Wars. Having previously been a part of multiple outlets over the years, including building an entire gaming team from nothing to something, he thought it best to forge his own path and answer only to himself. As likely to be found playing the latest game as he is in the kitchen relaxing (by cooking), he always brings the same bold and brash attitude to everything he does, with a heavy leaning on sarcasm and dry wit!
