Moon Studios, the creative force behind the beloved platformer *Ori and the Will of the Wisps*, has announced that the full launch of its upcoming action‑RPG *No Rest for the Wicked* will be delayed until March 2027. The title entered early‑access in April 2024 with an original plan to reach its version 1.0 in October 2026. As of July 2026, the game has already moved two million copies, a testament to the strong community interest and the studio’s reputation for delivering polished experiences. In a formal statement, Moon Studios explained that while the project is "close" to completion, the team refuses to settle for a release that falls short of their own high bar.
"Close isn’t good enough for our full 1.0 launch," the statement read. "The honest truth is that we’re a small team, and we hold our games to a standard we won’t compromise on." The additional months will be used to fine‑tune several core aspects of the game. Performance optimization is a top priority, ensuring that the title runs smoothly across all target platforms without frame‑rate drops or loading hiccups.
The developers also plan to tighten the class system, which underpins the game’s strategic depth, and to polish the overall presentation to meet the expectations of the growing fan base. "We’d rather take a few more months than ship something that we know isn’t quite perfect yet," the studio emphasized.
To keep the community involved, Moon Studios announced that the extended timeline will bring more closed and open beta tests. The open beta is slated for December, giving players a chance to dive into the unfinished build, provide feedback, and directly influence the final shape of the 1.0 version. Early supporters who purchase *No Rest for the Wicked* before January 1 2027 will be rewarded with a special "Founders Pack," a bundle of in‑game items and exclusive cosmetics as a thank‑you for backing the project during its early‑access phase.
PlayStation users will be able to pre‑order the game starting in January 2027, and those pre‑orders will also include the Founders Pack rewards, aligning the console experience with the PC community’s incentives. In a separate video posted to YouTube, studio founder Thomas Mahler gave a candid update on the development process. He described the team’s recent months as a "mad dash" to integrate additional content, finalize the class system, and lock down the myriad features slated for the 1.0 release. "We’ve been playtesting a lot, and the truth is simply that we’re not quite there yet," Mahler admitted.
Mahler traced the project’s origins back to 2016, when the first prototypes of *No Rest for the Wicked* were sketched out. Over the ensuing years, the studio iterated on the concept, expanding the world, refining combat mechanics, and building a narrative that aims to resonate with both newcomers and longtime fans of Moon Studios’ storytelling style.
"We’re now in the last couple of months of this phase, and we want to take that extra time to make sure we land this plane safely and that we don’t ship with any silly little bugs left," he explained. The developer’s commitment to quality mirrors a broader industry trend where studios prioritize long‑term reputation over short‑term revenue. By delaying the launch, Moon Studios hopes to avoid the pitfalls of a rushed release—issues that can tarnish a game’s legacy and erode player trust. "We want everybody to have a wonderful experience and ship something that is one of those generational games that only comes out every so often," Mahler concluded.
The decision has been met with a mixture of understanding and anticipation from the community. Many fans have expressed appreciation for the studio’s transparency and willingness to listen to player feedback during the extended beta periods. Others remain eager for the final product, hoping the extra development time will result in a richer, more immersive world, deeper character progression, and a seamless blend of action and role‑playing elements.
Looking ahead, Moon Studios plans to continue communicating milestones, sharing developer diaries, and hosting community events to keep the excitement alive. The March 2027 release window now serves as a new target date, giving the team a clear horizon while allowing them the breathing room needed to polish every facet of *No Rest for the Wicked*. In summary, Moon Studios’ delay reflects a deliberate choice to uphold a standard of excellence that the studio has cultivated over years of critically acclaimed releases. By extending the timeline, they aim to deliver a game that not only meets but exceeds player expectations, ensuring that *No Rest for the Wicked* will stand as a memorable entry in the action‑RPG genre for years to come.