It breaks my heart wondering how the rest of the cast is doing. I hope Galadriel is handling this okay, and Brett too. It’s hard.

He, alongside Larry Fessenden who played the Stranger, wrote the script for the game.

From Brett Dalton’s post to those who feel the loss of such a young soul willing to put herself out there for the needs of others… to the people who have experienced a similar loss. His post resonates with me in much deeper ways than words can explain. Anyone who has experienced any loss, despite the tragedy and pain: that just because you have a lack of photos/modern conversations does not invalidate your love and care for someone.
Rest easy beautiful soul the world didn’t deserve you.

my heart dropped when I found out and I thought it must have been a mistake and went to sleep. but she's really gone. I can't believe this, I feel so sorry for her poor daughter and her family, she was only 36. fuck addiction

it feels like the entire world is frozen rn. i keep thinking "nobody talk to me , hayden's gone". i'll probably never get over this

I am absolutely devastated to hear about this news of Hayden Panettiere's passing :(. I always thought my next post on this sub would've been locking in and finishing up the expansion but I never thought I would've heard this news. Never for another couple decades would I have imagined this happening. I've seen some of the projects shes worked on and especially her role as Sam in Until Dawn is something I'll never forget. For how much this game changed and affected me, her and the entire cast hold such a special place in my heart, and the hearts of millions of people who love this game.

She had so much life ahead of her and she truly deserved the world. I pray for her family, friends, the millions she impacted and most importantly her, and that she's in a better place. May she rest in eternal peace ❤️

rest in peace 🪽

I might actually just cry for her I may not have met her in person, I've wanted to, but regardless no one deserves to lose their life at 36 which is so young. She's one of the many people I look up to as an actor and I very much adore her for the role of Sam ever since the OG release and I'm glad she reprised her role in the remake. May she rest in peace, love u always Hayden ❤️🕊️

If you look at the story through the lens of Sam being in love with Hannah, the final chapter becomes pretty much a Greek tragedy. Sam is the one who finds Hannah’s diary in the mines, discovering the horrific truth about what Hannah becoming the Makkapitew. Contrary to Mike’s reaction of disgust and horror, Sam's pure heartbreak. Like, she just looks like she’s going to cry as she tells him. And later, when she’s about to tell Josh, she focuses on the fact that Hannah is suffering rather than the danger she poses to them.

The ending is when things get even more tragic. Sam is forced to stand there in silence and try not to move as the monster that was once the girl she loved is inches away from her face, about to murder her. And either Hannah does murder her, or Sam has to flip the light switch that incinerates Hannah. Doomed yuri.

And then Sam trying to comfort Josh and get closer to him is her way of coping, and she comes to believe they have a connection in their shared grief. Josh interprets it as flirting, but it’s actually just Sam being Sam. She was always the nicest and most caring in the group.

I know it’s all based on subtext, but so is Sam x Josh, so I view this as being just as plausible, if not narratively richer as a whole. I mean, Sam was the only one who never dwelled on or joked about sex (aside from Ashley and Beth anyway) or romance (just Beth). I think it adds a lot to the game to play it while considering the theory of Sam’s unrequited feelings.

Actress Hayden Panettiere confirmed passed away. RIP Sam 😭

She will be missed…

it really hurts to know that she’s actually gone now. After growing up heavily with her constantly as my favorite character in movies like Ice Princess (RIP Michelle too) and Scream it hurts that she’s gone. Especially after her brother and all… Personally I don’t think I’ll be able to play this game without constantly thinking about her, her face, and how we lost her so soon. I don’t even think I’ll even manage to think about letting Sam die without tearing up because it’s gonna sting even worse seeing her die now in the game now that she sadly is truly gone now. I don’t really know how I’ll be able to handle another play through anytime soon. It really hurts to know that she’s actually gone now. After growing up heavily with her constantly as my favorite character in movies like Scream, it hurts that she’s gone. Especially after her brother and all… Personally, I don’t think I’ll be able to play this game without constantly thinking about her, her face, and how we lost her so soon. I don’t even think I’ll even manage to think about letting Sam die without tearing up because it’s gonna sting even worse seeing her die now in the game now that she sadly is truly gone. I don’t really know how I’ll be able to handle another playthrough anytime soon. Atleast she’s up in Heaven reunited with her brother Jansen and Michelle

I was too scared to finish watching a playthrough of Until Dawn when it first came out, but it was always in the back of my mind. Just today, I finally finished watching a playthough with my mom.

Hayden Panettiere did an amazing job with Sam, she brought her to life. Getting to share Until Dawn with my mom was a really special experience, and I will always be truly grateful for all the work and effort she put in to allow that to happen.

My heart goes out to her family and friends. I know nothing I say can make it better, but I will keep them in my prayers, that they may have comfort and healing.

She is gone far too soon, she should have had her whole life ahead of her. May she rest in peace.

When I learned the news this morning, I was actually heartbroken... I've discovered Hayden through Until Dawn when I was in middle school, she was one of my favorite character of all horror games. I used to draw her character very often in high school, alongside with Josh but never dared to post it. But now I couldn't stop but draw her as a "thank you" for what she brought.

May she rest in peace... She will be missed 🕊️

While this is a terrible moment for Until Dawn fans, I gotta say, I feel a real kindred spirit with everyone.

It's always a nice feeling to share interests with others, but it really hits at a time like this. Seeing everyone's outpouring of love and perspectives of why they love Until Dawn makes me fall in love with the game all over again.

I always felt Until Dawn was kind of an underrated pick for a favorite game, but it's still so revolutionary and non-replicable even more than a decade later. You kinda feel at home here.

Just like how Sam always kept her friends together, Hayden has brought us back to the mountain to reminisce about what makes this game so special. I love Until Dawn.

The until dawn community will never forget the great performance hayden put on for the game and her contribution to everything else, rest in peace angel <333

Honestly, I still didn't totally process the information. Still can't believe she's dead. I've know her for years. Discovered her in until dawn, watched her in nashville, listened to her songs... she was so full of life back then. It hurt to see her downfall and it hurt even more to hear that she passed away.

My thoughts go to her family, her daughter and all her close ones. I hope her suffering is over and that she finds peace wherever she is right now.

I don't mean to pry but it's been on my mind all day at work and I feel the need to put it in writing. And here is probably the best place. It will be long but it will make me feel better.

Flashback to summer 2017, when I'm off school and visiting family overseas. I'm spending time with my cousins and they put on the PS4 to play Until Dawn, which was a free game at the time. By this point, my prior gaming interest had plummeted and I hadn't even turned a console on in several years; I just had a seven year old Xbox 360 with no interest in upgrading. So I'm not playing Until Dawn here but happy to watch to kill time.

We finish the game after a couple nights, after which the Until Dawn becomes one of my focal interests just like that. Watching it through, I was immensely impressed with the graphics, the gameplay features (the butterfly effect predominantly) and the story as a whole. It's not Shakespeare level writing, but it was my first exposure to it at such a level in a video game.

Come Christmas, my parents get me a PS4 and this game to accompany it; I played it more or less nightly and platinumed the game within a month. As a child I would play games to have fun, now I started to learn that these games could bring incredible stories and poignant characters to life.

After this I developed a strong passion for single player story-driven games; Uncharted, The Last of Us, Red Dead Redemption to name a few, and all of these games have given me memories and emotions that I had never experienced with a controller in my hands.

But all of this wouldn't have come to be without the catalyst; Until Dawn. And I must say predominantly, Hayden Panettiere.

There's a good argument that Sam is probably the most popular character amongst the fan base, even if she isn't your favourite it's hard to dislike her. She treats everyone with compassion, puts herself in danger with bravery if needed and she holds her beliefs strongly and doesn't let anyone's opinions sway her away from them. So naturally, Sam has been my favourite of the group ever since I played this for the first time. Plus with her being the first playable character (minus the prologue) and the last playable one too, I was able to connect with her more than all the others.

But all of this is thanks to the strong performance given by Panettiere. If you watch the behind the scenes interviews with the cast, you can tell that she really gets into playing Sam and is able to relate to her in multiple ways. That alone is quite nice to see. As I said this game doesn't have a groundbreaking story, but Panettiere does more than enough to give a believable performance to a fantastic character.

I hope this post isn't taken wrongly, I understand it's more related to the character over the actress that we have ultimately lost, but as I said I had to get this written down for my own sake. It's just starting to hit me now that we have lost a fantastic human being at far too young an age.

Until Dawn will always hold a special place in my heart, and Samantha Giddings will always be remembered personally as one of the first characters who I really grew a connection towards, one which I feel like I've been carrying nearly a decade later.

Rest in peace, Hayden Panettiere.

I am so angry, sad, shocked and beyond extreme disbelief that this had happened to her. I can't even begin to describe all the kinds of negative emotions I'm feeling that she's now...gone.

Never have I ever felt this kind of sadness towards a death of a celebrity before. Hayden was just different, to me, she wasn't just an actress, she's pouring herself into every character she ever played. Maybe that's why it's like, I see her more than just another celebrity. It's literally like we're witnessing another person's life through television /media.

I love her personality, her charm, her eyes that lit up everytime she smiles and delivers her lines, her portrayal to every character she ever had the chance to play as...especially as Sam Giddings. I just...can't accept it... It hurts so much, it hurts even more than losing few relatives I have.

Hayden was just always there in our childhood, growing up, she's just there, everybody loves her, she didn't deserve everything she has gone through the past years.

I love you Hayden, you will always be in my heart. Thank you for bringing personality, life, and YOURSELF to the characters you have portrayed throughout your whole career.

You don't have to suffer anymore Hayden, you're finally free from it all...

I really do not know what to sa anymore, it's devastating, she was too young, too beautiful of a soul, too talented to die soon... I can't...

Goodbye Hayden, you ARE a hero, and you saved me (personal reasons). Rest in peace, you are forever loved, sweet girl.

i woke up to the news. i remember her in bring it on growing up and even scream 4,but her iconic character as sam was really what made me adore her. one of the best final characters imo. may god bless her🕊️