8 articlesJohn Carpenter’s Toxic Commando is filled with loads of easter eggs and references, mostly as homages to John Carpenter’s past works.
These can be very easy to miss, however! After all, this is a chaotic and fast-paced multiplayer game. You’re probably more focused on surviving and hanging out with your pals than finding secrets!
Thankfully you don’t need to miss out, as I’ll tell you every easter egg and reference that I know of.
General Easter Eggs
The Thing
The Thing is one of the most popular of John Carpenter’s creations, being the central monster of the eponymous film. So, it’s no surprise that it features prominently as an easter egg in this game.
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Toxic Commando – Best XP Farm To Level Any Class FastMar 15, 2026In fact, The Thing is quite omnipresent in Toxic Commando! It can show up in multiple locations of every map, with some of these locations even being a bit random. It’s a little creepy, if you ask me.
If you’re not scared, though, check out the following video. It shows various known locations where The Thing can appear.
Sadly, though, The Thing is purely cosmetic. There are no interactions with it at all, and it seems to not even move. That only makes it more unsettling, though, as far as I’m concerned.
Saber’s Hidden Logo
While customizing your vehicle, turn it around towards the back and right of the garage. If you do it right, the lights will reveal a hidden Saber Interactive logo in the shadows. Saber are this game’s developer, of course!
Health Potion
Preview the Medkit’s model while you’re checking your Loadout. Rotate it until you spot a QR code. Scan it and it will simply say “Health Potion”, which is just a nice nod to healing items in RPGs.
Graffities
The graffities you can apply to your vehicles as customization include quite a few references. For example, the “Don’t Dead, Open Inside” graffiti above is a cheeky reference to The Walking Dead.
There is also a graffiti that references the “I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass” line which originated in John Carpenter’s 1988 film, They Live. Though I’m sure many of us know it due to its popularization by Duke Nukem!
It’s very likely that there are many others referencing things I just didn’t catch, so I highly recommend checking out all of the graffities when you have the time.
Classic Internet Meme
While in the character Personalization screen, you’ll likely notice that there’s a small QR code next to your character’s face. It’s below the Hopewell Weapon Systems logo.
Just like with the Health Potion before it, all you need to do is scan the code to reveal its secrets! This one will lead you to a classic internet meme video, which I won’t spoil for you.
Leon’s Base
Halloween
Go past the shooting range and check under the stairs in the spot I’ve marked on the map above. You’ll see there’s a Halloween pumpkin there, which may be there to reference John Carpenter’s Halloween films.
Additionally, there’s a severed hand in front of the pumpkin holding a machete. Maybe that’s meant as a reference to Jason Voorhe’s weapon of choice in the Friday the 13th films?
Well, maybe that’s a stretch. But it would be nice if both of these are indeed meant as references to both iconic slasher horror franchises, right? It’s fun to think about, if nothing else.
Husky
Near the same bar where you see the previous easter egg, you can also find a large dog food bowl with the name Husky on it.
Now, this might also be a bit of a stretch here, but this might refer to the husky sled dogs featured in The Thing. One of those huskies did have a fairly notable role, after all!
High Octane
MacReady’s Gas Station
A simple reference is one near the northern part of the map, as you can find MacReady’s Beer & Bait Gas Station there.
Now, the gas station itself isn’t much to write home about. However, its name is most likely a reference to R.J. MacCready, the main protagonist of The Thing.
Antonio Bay
Near the center of the High Octane map, you can also find the Antonio Bay Retirement Village. This is a reference to John Carpenter’s 1980 film, The Fog.
Christine
Just a bit north from Antonio Bay Retirement Village, you can find a burning shack with a car inside of it. The car is a red 1958 Plymouth Fury, the same model as the titular Christine from the 1983 film.
Innsmouth River
Now, for something that’s not John Carpenter related! The bridge in the northern part of the High Octane map appears to cross over the Innsmouth River, based on the name shown in signs and on the map.
This is most certainly a reference to “The Shadows over Innsmouth”, a classic horror novel by H.P. Lovecraft.
Root of Evil
Christine
You can find a second and much more obvious reference to Christine in the northwestern corner of the Root of Evil map.
This time, you’ll find part of a red 1958 Plymouth Fury car that seems to have crashed into a trailer. You can read “Christine” right above the car’s trunk, confirming that it’s a reference to the film of the same name.
Demon Bait
Escape From and Obey
The next is a 2-for-1 easter egg, and you can find it at Guzzlers Gas Station on the southwestern corner of the map. You’ll get there naturally near the end of the mission.
Go into the office on the western part of the gas station, when you’re by the anti-sludge vehicle. You’ll find a poster that says “Escape From” on it, as a reference to John Carpenter’s 1981 film, Escape From New York.
For the second part of the easter egg, just turn on your flashlight! The poster will change, revealing an “Obey” poster. This is a reference to They Live, a John Carpenter film from 1988.
Catch and Kill
They Live, We Sleep
For this one, go to Ed’s Gas Farm on the western part of the Catch and Kill map. You’ll need to jump on the boxes near one of the trailers on the northern side of that location, allowing you to enter the trailer itself.
Then, use your flashlight to look at a briefcase hiding in the dark inside the trailer. It will reveal a marking saying “THEY LIVE, WE SLEEP” which is a reference to 1988’s They Live.
To easily find this easter egg, follow the route shown in the video below.
Christine, Yet Again!
If you’ve been following along in order, this is the 3rd finding of a Christine easter egg on our list. This time, it’s by the westernmost part of the Catch & Kill map. It’s a reuse of the Christine trailer from Root of Evil.
However, this time the trailer is also attached to a very unique-looking hotrod which says “Stay Away, You Loot, We Shoot.” This doesn’t seem to be a reference to a particular movie, as far as I can tell, and just refers to a standard police saying.
Deliver Us
Can You See?
For this easter egg, go southwest from the Cultist Camp. You’ll reach a camp with some resources where you want to climb up one of the containers to find a tent. It’s the one that says things like “No Help Here” and “He’s Watching” outside.
Enter the tent and you’ll find various cult paraphernalia, which can also be seen in other parts of the game. This is, by itself, just a general part of John Carpenter’s style of horror.
More importantly, however, you can also find a marking that reads “Can You See?”. This is likely a reference to the sunglasses that Nada wore in the film They Live, which allowed him to see and reveal the truths of the world.
The Pit
Dead Inside
To find this easter egg, go near the Sludge Cavity in the middle of the map by entering the tunnel south of the area’s name.
As you go into the tunnel, turn to your left and you’ll find a locked spot with a door that says “Dead Inside, Do Not Enter”.
Now, this could be a direct reference to the 2011 book “Dead Inside: Do Not Enter: Notes from the Zombie Apocalypse” or a reference to the iconic “Don’t Open, Dead Inside” door from The Walking Dead. Hell, it could even be both!
Wrapping Up
As you can see, there are dozens of easter eggs and references in John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando, and I’ve told you all that I know of!
While most of them are callbacks to John Carpenter’s filmography, it’s also neat to see references to other iconic horror media. But, as I said, these are all that I know of myself. There could be others still waiting to be found.
Either way, that’s the end of this guide, at least for now. Next up, I recommend checking out our guide for farming Weapon XP. You’ll max them out in no time with our help!
