Last Updated on Jun 16, 2026 @ 15:41:58 PM.
Outward 2, the survival RPG with little to no hand-holding, has been delayed to 2027 due to community feedback, and wanting to deliver “the game you guys deserve”. In an era of games being released broken and unplayable, it’s good to see some developers taking caution and ensuring they can give us the best version of their vision.
Per Nine Dots:
Nine Dots Studio announced today that Outward 2 will no longer launch into Early Access on July 7th. Instead, the game is now targeting a 2027 release with more specific timing to be announced in the near future. Here’s a message from Guillaume Boucher-Vidal, Nine Dots Studio CEO and Outward 2 Creative Director:
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
With 2026’s release calender becoming somewhat of a meme within the gaming industry lately, with Grand Theft Auto 6 launching in November, and every game trying to avoid it, it’s not a surprise to see another casualty to 2026, albeit for different reasons. This may end up being a net positive for the longterm prospects of the game, with more opportunity for player retention after the Rockstar-sized hump has passed, and of course more polish and a better finished product for Nine Dots.
What do you think? Are you bothered by the delay? Will you be picking Outward 2 up in 2027 when it launches, more polished and refined? Let us know in the comments below!
For more from us, check out the Hellraiser: Revival release date reveal, or the new extraction shooter from some ex-Insomniac developers.
Luke Addison is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Thumb Wars. Having previously been a part of multiple outlets over the years, including building an entire gaming team from nothing to something, he thought it best to forge his own path and answer only to himself. As likely to be found playing the latest game as he is in the kitchen relaxing (by cooking), he always brings the same bold and brash attitude to everything he does, with a heavy leaning on sarcasm and dry wit!
