If you haven’t heard yet, Universal Horror Unleashed is a brand-new, year-round horror experience opening in Las Vegas, brought to life by the team behind Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights. As someone who counts down the days to spooky season every year, the idea of a permanent horror attraction has me hyped. It’s like Halloween that never ends.

To kick things off, the experience will feature four haunted houses, along with some additional surprises that haven't quite been revealed yet. While I doubt they'll expand beyond four houses right away, I’m hoping we’ll see some regular rotation to keep things fresh. For now, here’s how I’m ranking the four confirmed houses — from the one I’m least excited for to the one I’m most looking forward to — followed by some thoughts and expectations for the overall experience.

Rankings

Blumhouse’s: The Exorcist Believer

I understand why a Blumhouse house made the cut, the studio’s name alone is a strong draw for mainstream horror fans. But The Exorcist: Believer just didn’t do it for me as a movie, so I’m surprised it’s leading the charge here. My guess is they wanted something that stylistically stood apart from the other three, and this was the most convenient fit.

Still, it feels like a missed opportunity. I would’ve loved to see M3GAN instead, she’s still got cultural clout, even after a not so hot response to M3GAN 2.0. And if we’re talking instant crowd-pullers, Five Nights at Freddy’s feels like a no-brainer. The fanbase that grew up with FNAF is now old enough to make Vegas trips, so cash it in!

Looking ahead, it’d be amazing if they adapted some of the new Blumhouse Games into haunt experiences. Crisol: Theater of Idols, for example, could translate beautifully into a haunted walkthrough.

Universal Monsters

The leap in excitement from Exorcist to Universal Monsters is huge. I genuinely like this one, it just ranks third because the next two have me even more excited. A battle between Van Helsing and classic monsters is always a good time, and it fits perfectly in a year-round setting.

That said, it’s been done before. Last year’s HHN featured Eternal Bloodlines (or as I affectionately called it, Universal Monsters: Oops All Women!), and I really enjoyed it. But if they wanted to create a deeper lore or an evolving narrative, I think they could’ve started smaller — maybe a single-monster house each year: start with Dracula, then Wolfman, then Mummy, and finally bring them all together in an epic “Final Showdown.”

Still, for a first-time launch, I get why they went big. Let’s hope this proves successful enough for them to get even more creative down the line.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Ah, my boy Bubba. Texas Chainsaw Massacre was one of my favorite houses at HHN last year, it was actually the only one I went through twice! I adore this franchise, flaws and all, and it’s awesome to see Leatherface representing the “Terror Titan” slasher archetype.

This spot could easily rotate between him, Michael Myers, Freddy, or Jason in the future. But kicking things off with such an iconic name is a great move to appeal to horror fans of all types. I wouldn’t be surprised if this ends up being the most popular (and longest) line of the bunch.

Scarecrow: The Reaping

This one takes the top spot for me because I love Universal’s original houses. Scarecrow: The Reaping is a returning fan favorite from HHN, and while I didn’t get to experience it when it originally debuted, I’ve heard nothing but great things.

I’m thrilled they brought it back. Original concepts are where Universal shines, they’re often the scariest, most immersive houses in the lineup. I can’t wait to finally walk through this one myself!

My Expectations for Universal Horror Unleashed

For this to work as a year-round experience, the biggest key is something to bring people back. The houses need to stick around long enough for visitors to plan trips, but they also need to rotate out frequently enough to give people a reason to return.

Here’s what I’d love to see:

Keep all four houses until January 2027. That gives Universal time to work out the kinks for the rest of 2025, and all of 2026 can be a proper “season.”
Start rotating one house at a time annually. At the end of the “season” they could slowly change one house at a time, maybe one a month, that way they could have a good rhythm of refreshing the experience without overwhelming the creative team.

Ideally, I think they should stick to a solid rotation pattern, here’s my ideal rotation:

One Blumhouse or other big studio IP house
One original concept
One slasher icon
One wildcard (like Universal Monsters, folklore legends, or regional myths)

I’d especially love to see more folklore-inspired houses in the future, whether it’s Latin American creatures, American Cryptids, or Norse mythology, those houses are often some of the most haunting and unique.

Other Experience Expectations

Besides the haunted houses, I hope the entire venue is immersive. Instead of traditional scarezones, I’d love to see roaming horror characters and Safezones — places to eat, rest, and catch your breath. A horror attraction in Vegas needs to feel alive, and making the entire space feel haunted, while giving people room to relax.

As of now, I haven’t seen any mention of Express Passes, and honestly, that’s a bit concerning. If everyone’s in the same line, that could get frustrating fast. Maybe the timed entry system and indoor location will help keep things manageable… but we’ll see.

And since this is Vegas, it’s safe to assume there will be live entertainment beyond the houses. We’ve already seen glimpses of dancers, and while a stage show sounds fun, I just hope it doesn’t veer too far into the provocative side of Vegas nightlife. I’m here for the scares, not the night club vibes.

Final Thoughts

All in all, I’m beyond excited for Universal Horror Unleashed. A year-round HHN-style experience is something I’ve dreamed of, and it looks like Universal is betting big, they’ve already announced a second location in Chicago, which will be the first horror attraction of its kind in the Midwest.

If they play their cards right, this could become a must-visit destination for horror fans around the world — and I, for one, will be first in line.