The Winner Takes It All

After almost 4 weeks and 6 rounds of play, we have seen some of our mightiest monsters fall, some of our wonkiest villains enjoy dark horse runs, and a whole Discord channel filled with thought-provoking and eye-opening discourse around what it takes to be the best monster.

We’ve had well-fought match-ups that ended within a few points of each other and we’ve seen massacres that have only been seen in productions of Hamlet. Such highs and lows are why we play the game, why we showed up to fight and cheer and root for our favorite monsters. And, like in all games, there must be winners and there must be losers.

Today is for the winners. Or, more accurately, a SINGULAR winner…

This villain has haunted the nightmares of horror fans for as long as they have been part of the horror genre. Even to those outside of the horror fandom, this monster is recognizable on sight. Their body count is remarkable and they share that special bond between monster and horror fan…the promise of always coming back…someday, somehow.

Ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and ghouls, on behalf of the Hack or Slash Gaming Commission, we are proud to announce that the winner of the inaugural Monster Madness Bracket tournament is none other than the one, the only

MICHAEL MYERS

Upon clinching this victory, Michael was asked what he was going to do next. His voice said nothing (obviously) but his eyes said “I’M GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!” No word yet on how he will make it to Disney World…in other, definitely unrelated news, has anyone seen my 1978 Ford LTD station wagon? 

As for Ghostface, there is nothing for them to hang their head in shame about. As runner-up for this tournament, an honor well earned for their many hard-fought battles, Ghostface was presented with an all expense paid trip on the next SPACE-X flight, surely nothing could go wrong there after managing to beat two extra-terrestrial powerhouses in buzzer-beater fashion. 

And while Michael may take the crown this season, the real winners, the true MVPs are all of YOU, the proud members of our Hack or Slash community. You showed up to play from Round 1 and made this experience more fun and exciting than any of us here at Hack or Slash could have ever predicted.

Rest assured that the Monster Madness Bracket (or some variation of it) will return next March and we can’t wait to hear about all of the work you and your monsters are doing in the off-season to get ready for whatever’s next!

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for playing along and for being the best teammates we could ask for!

Until next season, this is Gamemaster and Demonic Darling Chel signing off. Go team!

 

ROUND 5 RECAP
And just like that, our 64 monsters have been whittled down to just two. While we horror fans are used to seeing our favorite monsters meet their demises (sometimes multiple times), this time the losses feel different. 

The pain feels greater when it is doled out at the expense or benefit of horror villains that we equally love and admire. The sting of voting for one beloved monster over another has inevitably left more scars on the collective soul of our Hack or Slash community than going 12 rounds against Freddy Krueger in the Dream World.

But, such is the way the game, any game, must be played. There must be winners and there must be losers.

That being said, let’s recap the gameplay of the Frightening Four and how two slashers, above all else, will be facing off in the Monster Madness championship round.

Here’s what you may have missed:

  • The match-up between Godzilla and Michael Myers probably best highlighted the divides within the Hack or Slash Fandom. These two monsters, both gargantuan legends in their own rights, haled from very different eras.
    • Godzilla, King of the Monsters, has been around almost as long as horror movies have been in our culture. His treachery and paths of destruction paving the way for future sci-fi and creature features that carry iconography of a genre that many hold dear.
    • In the other corner, Michael Myers, one of the first slashers to transcend the screen in ways that few movie characters, horror or not, have successfully done. The slasher genre is often the first and most nostalgic for many horror fans who think back to their first horror movie experiences. A love like that knows no bounds nor competition.
    • As a result, this was truly a battle borne of love and one that ended in a score so tight that the difficulty of choice faced by our voters was palpable. But, as is the rules, there must be a winner and after continuously dominating in every match-up he encountered in this tournament, Michael Myers emerged victorious. Albeit after facing his toughest competitor in Godzilla who fought until the very end.
  • The second half of the bracket, while also worthy of love, was curated in chaos. The match-ups were crazier, bolder and dare I say, spicier.
    • Despite having two extra-terrestrial battles that nearly ended with them floating out in space, Ghostface showed up to play in this showdown against the Deadites who have successfully absorbed all of the chaotic energy from their past opponents to put up a good fight against the meta-masked slasher.
    • In the end, Ghostface had a boomstick up its sleeve that managed to put the Deadites to rest.

So now, here we are, two legends of the game, two players that grew and thrived in the same genre of slasher movies, both readying their weapons for a battle royale that will see one emerging victorious and one retreating to the shadows awaiting the sequel.

The choice is, as it always has been, in the hands of our Hack or Slash community, the horror and non-horror fans alike embracing a new way to celebrate March Madness. So take your time these next couple of days and really dig down to who you think may be most deserving of the crown.

Voting for the Championship Round begins at MIDNIGHT on MARCH 28! Winner will be announced on March 31 or April 1!

GO SPORTS!

ROUND 4 RECAP

It was clear in this round that the losses of the Salty Sixteen still stung like, well, salt in a wound, as dozens of fans cast their votes for the Angry Eight. 

More mourning of what was, took place with some of the loudest voices in the Monster Madness Discord reminding everyone that there was still a lot of tournament play left before the final credits rolled. Now was not the time to weep but to stand tall and see this bracket through to the end.

Declarations that could have been realistically the last stands for many of these avid fans were shared with gusto in the Discord, lines were being drawn and everyone has started to congregate to their own corners to hype up their chosen monster for this round.

Some declarations included: 

  • “Jason really is the face of horror, there’s something blunt and primal about the brute force of a mask corpse silently butchering people.” - Perfect Organism
  • "I initially voted for Jason to win this next matchup but then Kris  brought up a good point that he’s a bitch and curls up into a fetal position when he gets wet." - Dom B. (Demonic Darling’s brother IRL)
  • “Come on, people!!! We gotta push the Amityville House to the next round.” - RadioRob123
  • “[Jason] Took out freddy, took out an entire fucking swat team (in one of the books but still)” - Drewbacca
  • “If they don’t vote for her [Jennifer Check] they are just jello. LIME GREEN JELLO and they can get over themselves.” - Kara
  • “Predator better fucking dieeee because HOW did that clumsy MOFO [Ghostface] kill my beloved xenomorph[?]” - Meeki

Round 4 highlights you may have missed:

  • Despite the match-up creating a lot of anticipatory buzz that had many fans dreading the impossible choice they had to make, the Michael Myers vs. Jason Voorhees face-off (er-mask off) was the game with the largest score differential. 
    • Michael Myers put to bed, at least for another season, that while Jason may have had his heyday during the 80s slasher craze, the legacy and staying power of Michael Myers easily drowned out the buzz.
    • When asked what he plans to do now that his middling tournament run had come to an end, he said, well nothing…obviously…but sources say he is weighing options between returning to his roots in the wilderness for awhile, or hopping aboard the next Space X mission...word to the wise to anyone who crosses paths with Voorhees this off-season…just maybe, don’t.
  • The Royalty Rumble that took place between Godzilla and Jennifer Check is one that will be studied for years to come. The build up to this event is one that guaranteed one of our two most feverish fandoms in the tournament would walk away disappointed.
    • After demonstrating her ability to lay waste to monsters of yester-Hollywood, Jennifer Check’s skillset unfortunately did not translate to a more global scale when facing up against worldwide icon Godzilla, King of the Monsters.
    • Make no mistake, while this loss will be tough blow to the egos of those who love her best, Jennifer Check will certainly go down in Monster Madness history as one of the most popular monsters to travel this far through a bracket that unevenly favored those who identify as male. This is not the end of the road for Jennifer Check, she will return and she will be pissed
  • Even a mere 2 hours before voting closed for this round, the score between Ghostface and The Predator was a dead tie. As the clock ticked down Ghostface managed to land a true BUZZER BEATER, pulling out a victory over The Predator by one singular point, with the game ending with Ghostface on top 24-23.
    • Call it an identity crisis or calculated chaos, but either way, Ghostface’s gameplay was clearly able to evade the predictable, albeit reliable, no-frills approach that the Predator took to this bracket.
  • Leave it to a bunch of wacky ass Deadites to deliver the Amityville House its official eviction notice from the Monster Madness bracket. While the common thinking is that “the house always wins,” one often forgets that the Deadites don’t play by any normal rules, hell they don’t play by rules at all. With a chaotic gameplay approach like that, it was only a matter of time before the fans started singing “The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire, we don’t need no water, let the MOTHERFUCKER BURN!” 
    • That said, Amityville’s run in this tournament, especially after barely earning a spot in the bracket, has not gone unnoticed and the Hack or Slash Gamemasters have awarded Amityville with the “Dark Horse Award” and has already earned a spot in the next Monster Madness bracket.

The stakes are only getting higher as we enter our final two rounds of play. This round, the Frightening Four, is the time to start stepping up your game, rallying your horror and non-horror friends. It’s time to pick the team you want to see ride all the way to the championship. It is now or never.

Match-Ups for Round 5, the Frightening Four, of Monster Madness will be announced on Saturday, March 22, before voting begins at MIDNIGHT on Sunday, March 23.

ROUND 3 RECAP
The blood runneth over and more than one beloved horror villain who left it all out on the court this round found themselves cast off with their fellow fallen fiends.

After a technical foul was called on the Gamemaster at the start of the round, the confusion quickly subsided and the games began! Over 100 votes were cast and the rabid fans in the Monster Madness Discord dialed up the pep and team spirit to varying degrees of success.

A consistent topic of discussion during this round focused more on the “worst” versions of the surviving sixteen. Pictures of Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees having a bad mask days were shown alongside pictures of Godzilla sporting a cartoonish pair of deer in the headlights eyes. 

All the dredging and muck-raking begged the age-old question: Is anyone ever truly redeemed? Or are we forever tasked with excelling so high to make the world forget about your less than stellar days? Much to think about this round and that reflection certainly showed in the scores.

Round 3 highlights you may have missed:

  • Jennifer Check and Michael Myers once again made it clear that they are the ones to stop this season, clinching early and decisive leads that held them well ahead of their opponents, Frankenstein and Pinhead, respectively.
    • Said Spooky Bitch about the Frankenstein/Check match-up: “We can do something ICONIC and vote so Jennifer bests almost EVERY CLASSIC MONSTER ON THE BRACKET!” And such history WAS made. Happy Women's History Month to all, may this victory be written in the history books for years to come lest we forget!
  • In the Round 2 Recap podcast episode, Kris and Chel talked about how the Jason Voorhees v. Art the Clown face-off was a clear representation of the current comparisons made between the legacy of slasher legends and the new wave of blood-thirsty killers. Voorhees, who up until this round had been able to coast through his first match-ups was forced to pick up his game and truly earn his spot in the next round. Earn it he did, but just barely. 
    • Very indicative of the new vs. old traditions of slashers, Voorhees won out over Art, but by a slim margin. Any other day, any other way, this could have easily been Art's game to win. But for now, the legend lives on with Jason. But like any good slasher, Art is not dead and willc ertainly be back for revenge in future tournaments and other fields of play.
  • On the other end of the bracket, both Ghostface and The Predator enjoyed impressive numbers against their opponents, and will now prepare to encounter each other in the Angry Eight (coined by Miggy Mack)
    • These results are also forcing us to say goodbye to two favorites who are certainly already plotting their revenge as I write this: Hannibal Lecter and Jigsaw.
  • The Batshit Bracket games once again did not disappoint this round.
    • We witnessed Pearl hanging onto a decent lead early in the round only to be read her last rites (in Latin of course) by the Deadites who came from behind (or down below, in the basement) to remind Pearl who the real star is.
    • In the battle between Black Christmas Billy and the Amityville House, it appears the question of “Who’s trapped with who?” was answered with little hesitation as the Amityville House pulled out a close but respectable win.
  • The headlining match-up this round, the one causing heartache and debate and all sorts of game-related agony this round was that of Godzilla vs. Freddy Krueger. It has been determined that Freddy may maintain his crown as King of the Dream World, but Godzilla, the OG nightmare is still King of the Monsters. But, Freddy did not go down without a fight, losing the game by a mere 3 votes.

As we enter Round 4, the Angry 8, of this tournament, be kind to yourselves and check on one another, as some of the decisions we will all be forced to make this round will challenge us to think deeper, look closer and play with our hearts as much as we play with our minds.

Match-Ups for Round 4 of Monster Madness will be announced on Tuesday, March 18, before voting begins at MIDNIGHT on Wednesday, March 19.

ROUND 2 RECAP

After another exciting round of play featuring dozens of Hack or Slash community members voting for their favorite horror villains, the race has gotten tighter and our original slate of 64 monsters has now been whittled down to 16.

While the love of the game was still apparent with all of the Round 2 contenders, it became clear that some of the powerhouses of horror will certainly not be letting off the pressure on their less popular counterparts to stand up to their Goliathan presences.

At the same time, some of the Round 2 pairings inspired the brainstorming of cinematic team-ups instead of tournament bracket smackdowns. Rumblings of an intergalactic mega-movie featuring the Gremlins, Predator and just-missed 2025 Madness team The Critters could be heard on the sidelines. **No confirmation yet on which major movie studio will be bidding on this box office-busting freak show. Stay tuned.

Round 2 highlights you may have missed:

  • Jason Voorhees once again breezed into the next round with an early and crushing win against the My Bloody Valentine Miner…I imagine there will be lots of love lost between these two as the Miner goes back underground with nothing but a broken heart.
  • Once again the Classic Universal Monster territory proved no match for Jennifer Check as she pulled out a decisive win over The Mummy whose bandages were not enough to halt the hemorrhaging of points given up to Check during the round. 
    • Check is not out of the land of black and white yet, though, having to square up against the original brute, Frankenstein as we move into Round 3.
  • In a mere 2-point separation, Ghostface eeked their way into the third round, just barely outlasting the Xenomorph. 
    • To quote one avid Ghostface fan, Nathan: “Mikey Madison didn’t just win an Oscar for ya’ll to do Ghostface dirty like this.”
    • Thankfully for Nathan and all of his fellow Scream fanatics, Ghostface will live to see another fight, facing up this time against Hannibal Lector in Round 3.
  • The Round 2 match-ups that kept everyone talking this time around were similar in the fact that these two match-ups featured beloved creatures squaring up against known weapon wielders.
    • While recapping Round 1 of the tournament, Kris and Chel split on their support for Art the Clown vs. The Thing. Despite its best efforts, The Thing got iced out in favor of Art the Clown who earned 38 votes to The Thing’s 19…a real 2 to 1 win to thrust Art into Round 3.
    • The Godzilla vs. Leatherface face-off sparked even more thoughtful conversations about Mercury pollution and the ethics of nuclear war.
      • To quote one pro-Leatherface fan, MEAT: “A vote for Godzilla is a vote for the worst nuclear accident in human history.” Hopefully MEAT and the Leatherface stans are ready to duck and cover because Godzilla is headed into Round 3 while Leatherface’s tournament run is cut short.

Our prediction? Round 3, the NOT SO SWEET SIXTEEN, will be THE round to watch and be a part of in this tournament. Academically recognizing the merits of potential opponents will be replaced with sharper, more pointed (and respectful) commentary aimed at the downfall of the monsters who pose a major threat to the success of your favorites.

There is still a lot of room for anything to happen in this tournament and the crown could be any one of these contenders' to win.

Match-Ups for Round 3 of Monster Madness will be announced on Thursday, March 13, before voting begins at MIDNIGHT on Friday, March 14.

ROUND 1 RECAP

The inaugural Monster Madness bracket started strong with over 60 horror fans casting their votes to decide which of the 64 qualifying horror villains will taste victory and move to the next round and which ones’ journeys would come to an end quicker than a girl having sex at summer camp. 

Some of the highlights you may have missed:

  • Some of the expected powerhouses easily glided into the second round, laying waste to their opponents.
    • Michael Myers, slotted as the assumed #1-seed in this year’s bracket, sliced and diced his way past Beetlejuice in a clear and easy win.
    • Despite the 3-to-1 matchup, Candyman’s sting proved to be too much for the Sanderson Sisters who are bound to turn to dust as the sun rises on the conclusion of Round 1.
    • Understood #2 seed Jason Voorhees' victory was not an easy walk in the park at first with Angela Baker stacking up some impressive numbers early on against her legendary foe. But, in the end Jason made it clear that this summer camp was NOT big enough for the both of them and earned a spot in Round 2 in short order.
  • Despite initial speculation of a well-matched face-off, Pinhead earned and maintained a hefty lead ahead of the Babadook. Certainly a match for the storybooks as Pinhead sends the Babadook back to its closet until next season.
  • An impressive head start by Leslie Vernon against the Amityville House had this reporter surmising that Vernon MAY be the dark horse to watch this season. But like all good demonic presences, the Amityville House destroyed any shred of hope and has ensured that this relative unknown is no match against such a legend that easily.
  • The match-up with the most hype leading up to game time was the match between Leatherface and Sam (Trick r Treat). Conversation swirling around the MARCH MADNESS 2025 Discord chat saw fans weighing in on the moral merits of these opponents. But alas, the stars proved that they DO shine bright deep in the heart of Texas, when in a late game surge, Leatherface prematurely blew out Sam’s jack-o-lantern light and advanced to the next round.
  • The man-made match of star-crossed lovers: Frankenstein and his Bride will unfortunately not be meeting again as the Bride was dealt a fatal blow in the middle of the round by Norman Bates. Let’s hope Norman knows well enough to leave the dead alone and is prepared to face some vengeance from Frankenstein who secured a win over Freddy Fazzbear in this first round of play.
  • The biggest nailbiters of the round came from the “Sexy Monster” match-ups between monsters that may instill some ~feelings~ in some of its fans and both threatened to resort to tie-breaking.
    • After going back and forth, tit for tat, in a tight and exciting race, the Tremor’s Graboid dug deep and pulled out a win against Winnie the Pooh. The Winnie the Pooh fandom right now is in mourning crying out “O Bother, Where Art Thou?” as their beloved humanoid bear returns to the 100-Acre wood to await next year’s tournament.
    • Pyramidhead earned his own special place on Krampus’ naughty list when in the final hours of the tournament, Pyramidhead managed to slide just ahead of Krampus and taking home the win. But Krampus won’t pout, won’t cry and I’m telling you why: Krampus will be back and he’s going to be hungry for a 2026 win.

And there you have it folks! Round 1 of the inaugural Monster Madness is in the books and everyone is exciting to see the gameplay to come in Round 2. Match-Ups for Round 2 of Monster Madness will be announced on Sunday, March 9, before voting begins at MIDNIGHT on Monday, March 10. 

Be sure to check-in all March long on Discord and Instagram and right here on the Hack or Slash website to cast your votes for who you think the top monster should be and for post-round recaps covering all the wins and losses, the ups and downs that are bound to happen this Monster Madness season!