Outward 2 Early Access Release Pushed to 2027

Nine Dots Studio announced that it is pushing back its planned Early Access release for survival RPG Outward 2. Previously planned for July 2026, the Early Access version will now release in 2027 on Steam, GOG.com, and the Epic Games Store. The developer provided the following message regarding the delay for the game, which is currently undergoing an open beta on Steam:

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

The follow-up to 2019 title Outward, Outward 2 is set in the perilous world of Aurai. Players control an adventurer, choosing from three starting scenarios and eleven backgrounds. The world has a full four-season cycle where merchants and NPCs may relocate with the changing seasons, and is divided into four distinct areas with their own biomes, seasonal effects, and gameplay elements. Those looking to read more can check out RPGamer’s preview of the game.