Nine Dots Studio announced on Tuesday that it will delay its upcoming fantasy role-playing game, Outward 2, until sometime next year. The action-adventure RPG, previously expected to enter Early Access in three weeks on July 7, now has no tentative release window beyond “2027,” though Nine Dots Studio CEO and Outward 2 Creative Director Guillaume Boucher-Vidal said in a Steam update that fans will learn specifics “in the near future.”
Boucher-Vidal further elaborated on the delay in their transparent message to players:
Hi everyone,
I know that this might seem sudden, as not that long ago we released a trailer inviting people to explore Aurai this summer, but the truth is that if we just stubbornly stick to the plan, we’re delivering a product that might not satisfy your expectations. The last thing we want to do is disappoint fans of Outward and there have been a lot of comments stating that they wish for the game to spend more time in development before the launch. The point of a playtest is to listen to feedback, and so we will.
Dropping this news is especially painful, knowing that some of our most dedicated players actually planned their summer break around the release date. It sucks for you, and I personally apologize to everyone affected this way. However, it would be even worse if you ended up playing something over your vacation that you were not even happy with.
It’s hard to gauge what the appropriate degree of stability is for Early Access. The best we can do is take a hard, honest look at the game, and at our team, and ask: in a few weeks, will this be good enough to charge money for? Our aim is to have such a stark jump between this playtest and the Early Access launch that we earn the trust of our players. You were there for the first Outward and that’s why we were successful. We want you to be happy to be there again for Outward 2.
Thank you to everyone who participated in our beta and playtests, who provided feedback, who shared our news, talked with us directly during streams or on Discord. I apologize that we couldn’t give you the game you guys deserve on time. I guess that’s game development’s equivalent of a defeat scenario: a setback and we come back better prepared.
Guillaume AKA Gheeyom
CEO and Creative Director
News of the delay comes four weeks after Nine Dots revealed Outward 2‘s now-nixed launch date, and just days after devs launched the game’s ongoing open beta during Summer Game Fest 2026.
In Nine Dots’ RPG-survival sequel Outward 2, players explore the gritty, unforgiving world of Aurai. “There’s no hand-holding” in Aurai, taunts the game’s Steam description, “no scaled encounters, no divine blessings to make you tower over your enemies. Eat your meal, check your map, grab your backpack: an unforgiving, rewarding adventure awaits.” Players build skills, engage with other citizens, and master magical skills. Like myriad story-rich titles, your in-game decision-making can permanently affect your progression. Outward, however, incorporates stakes-raising survival elements that require players to maintain health through various afflictions, combat fatigue, and nurse thirst, among other aspects.
Waiting for more info? Dive into Outward Definitive Edition, available now for PC via Steam, Nintendo Switch, PS5, and XBOX Series X|S. Follow Nine Dots Studio on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) or join its dedicated Discord to stay in the loop.
This is a developing story.
