Moon Studios, the creative force behind the critically acclaimed 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 first entered early access in April 2024, with an initial full‑release window set for October 2026.
By July 2026, the game had already moved two million copies, demonstrating strong community interest and solid sales performance during its early access phase. In a statement released by the studio, developers explained that while the game is "close" to a finished 1.0 version, they consider "close" insufficient for a product they intend to ship under their exacting quality banner.
"The honest truth is that we're a small team, and we're holding our games to a standard we won't compromise on," the announcement read. This commitment to excellence, they argue, justifies the additional months needed to refine the experience. The extra development window will be used for several key improvements. First, performance optimizations will be undertaken to ensure the game runs smoothly across all intended platforms, reducing frame‑rate drops and load‑time hiccups that early testers have reported.
Second, the studio plans to tighten the class system, a core gameplay mechanic that lets players customize their characters with distinct abilities and playstyles. Fine‑tuning this system is essential to delivering balanced, engaging combat and exploration. Polishing the overall experience is also a top priority.
Moon Studios wants to guarantee that every visual, audio, and narrative element meets the high bar they have set for themselves and that players have come to expect. "We'd rather take a few more months than ship something that we know isn't quite perfect yet," the developers said. This philosophy mirrors the broader industry trend of delaying launches to avoid releasing unfinished products that could damage a studio's reputation. To keep the community involved, the studio announced that the additional time will also enable more extensive beta testing.
Both closed and open beta sessions are slated for the coming months, giving players the chance to dive deeper into the game and provide feedback that will directly shape the final 1.0 build. An open beta is specifically scheduled for December, inviting a broader audience to experience the current state of the game and report bugs, balance issues, and usability concerns.
Early supporters who purchase No Rest for the Wicked before January 1, 2027, will be rewarded with a special "Founders Pack" that includes exclusive in‑game items and cosmetic upgrades. This incentive is designed to thank the community for their patience and continued investment during the extended development cycle. PlayStation users will be able to pre‑order the game starting in January 2027, at which point they too will become eligible for the Founders Pack rewards. In a separate video posted to YouTube, studio founder Thomas Mahler provided further insight into the delay.
He described the team’s recent months as a "mad dash" to integrate additional content, finalize the class system, and incorporate all the features originally slated for the 1.0 launch. Mahler emphasized that extensive playtesting has revealed that the game is still not quite ready for a polished release. "We've been playtesting a lot, and the truth is simply that we're not quite there yet," he said. Mahler also reflected on the project's long history, noting that the first prototypes of No Rest for the Wicked date back to 2016.
Over a decade of development has culminated in a product that the team believes could become a "generational" title—one that stands out as a landmark release in the RPG genre. However, he cautioned against shipping the game with "silly little bugs" that could mar the player experience. "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 to delay reflects a broader industry pattern where developers prioritize long‑term brand health over short‑term revenue.
By taking the extra time to address performance bottlenecks, refine core mechanics, and incorporate community feedback, Moon Studios aims to deliver a product that lives up to the high expectations set by its previous successes. Fans of the studio’s previous work can look forward to a more polished, balanced, and immersive adventure when No Rest for the Wicked finally launches in March 2027.