Intercession or The Craven Man?: Directive 8020 teaser for next Dark Pictures, analyzed

With every Dark Picture, we cannot help but wonder, what's on the horizon, and what story does The Curator want to tell next?

The first season of Dark Pictures Anthology concluded in winter 2022. Season two saw its first entry with Directive 8020 on May 12. Its marketing dropped the Anthology branding and doubled down on it when The Curator was nowhere to be seen. It isn't until you find the Obol Coin that The Curator makes his presence known, photobombing cutscenes, and offering up the next Dark Picture.

Season one teaser trailers always announced the title of what's to come to get fans excited, but Directive 8020 was different. There was no title card. Just an ominous message delivered in the style of analog horror. I strongly believe this was on purpose. And I'm confident I've cracked the case.

Table of contents

• Directive 8020: Next Dark Pictures teaser trailer theory
  • Teaser trailer imagery and messaging
  • What is the next Dark Pictures game after Directive 8020?

Directive 8020: Next Dark Pictures teaser trailer theory

There are many references in this trailer to the trademarked titles of upcoming Dark Picture games. What's curious is how it implements all symbols tied to both Anthology seasons. Everything in the trailer is shown in fours, where flashes of Man of Medan, Little Hope, House of Ashes, and Devil in Me appear throughout; alongside upcoming titles of The Craven Man's figure, Intercession's upside-down cross, and Winterfold's handprint.

Here's my thinking:

Each tape may represent one of the upcoming Dark Pictures titles, where season two will conclude with O Death. As all symbols appear multiple times throughout the teaser, I don't think we can use them to determine which title releases next.

Teaser trailer imagery and messaging

Here's a transcript of the trailer and the imagery that plays with it:

• "It begins with noises. Footsteps, knocking." - A deer on high alert.
• "Stage two. Objects, moving on their own accord." - A hivemind.
• "At stage three, the phenomenon becomes destructive. The presence wishes to be heard." - Demonic possession and pentagram.
• "Which leads us to stage four. Communication." - An open door with hands reaching out of it.
• "YOUARENOTSAFE, YOUCANTESCAPE (1988), ITKNOWSYOU (2019), ITHASSEENYOU (2028), TOBECONTINUED (2029)"

Instead of combining all tapes into one, separate them into four miniature teasers that encompass the entire season. Tape segments are numbered, implying these are separate recordings spliced together. We're shown tapes four, six, and seven, but the fifth is missing (Directive 8020?).

Now imagine the imagery and audio are descriptions for the remaining season two titles:

• First tape: The Craven Man (2019)
• Second tape: Winterfold (1988 - referenced in House of Ashes)
• Third tape: Intercession (2028)
• Fourth tape, which is unnumbered: O Death (2029 - The Curator reveals his true nature)

As 2019 is linked to Little Hope and Man of Medan, and is when Dark Pictures first released, I wonder if these dates are telling us when and where each title will be set. The tapes on the table likely link to the upcoming titles too:

• DON'T PLAY ALONE: The Craven Man
• Retroactive: Winterfold
• EVP2: Intercession
• Philip Experiment: O Death

The imagery is sacrificial, ritualistic, a possession and a summoning. Meanwhile, the audio sounds more methodical—a doctor observing a patient. Everything seems to point towards Intercession. But if my theory is correct, I think the answer for the next game lies before the first tape plays.

What is the next Dark Pictures game after Directive 8020?

I spotted a particularly creepy image before tape four plays. You have to search frame by frame to spot it. Though it's somewhat illegible, the image seems to show a woman looking at a man who has his hands up—just like The Craven Man logo and... The Wicker Man. This image appears to be taken inside a European town, and it looks like there's a photograph of the woods in the room where the recordings are being played.

Based on everything I've mentioned, I'm sure the next Dark Picture will be The Craven Man. If correct, this title should investigate animal and human sacrifices and pagan ritualism.

Whatever comes next, we theorize the next Dark Picture will release in 2027 (based on season one's schedule), the following in 2028, and so on. Season two may be the conclusion to the franchise, as The Curator mentioned, revealing his true identity after we have "finished." That we will know him "by a different name." Could O Death be the finale?

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