Cinematic action-platformer Replaced has been hit with another delay, this time pushing its launch on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X | S, as well as Game Pass, to 2024. Developer Sad Cat Studio and publisher Coatsink announced the news in a post on its Steam page, providing fans with an explanation as to why development is taking so long. In short, it sounds like the team really wants to emphasize the cinematic qualities of its Blade Runner-inspired project, but its efforts to do so are going to take some time.
“First of all we have to admit: game development is hard,” the post says. “It’s also rewarding in its own right, but mostly it’s just hard. We would like to pay our respects to every team who delivers their project – no matter how small or big it is. It’s a tremendous achievement.”
The post continues by talking about how high expectations have pushed the Replaced team to create the best experience it can manage. However, this is Sad Cat’s first major launch, so it’s going to take the extra time to make sure it doesn’t release a “sub-par game.” For those worried the studio won’t be able to handle such an ambitious project, Sad Cat had this to say:
“We want to stress the fact that we do understand the game’s scope, and we’re very aware of traps of over promising and under delivering. As of today, development is progressing at a steady pace. The majority of systems are functional now and we are in a super-intense asset production phase, which is currently our main bottleneck. Our quality bar is incredibly high.”
One example of Replaced’s high bar of quality is its animations. Sad Cat says that the game’s main character has more than 500 hand-painted animations for players to see over the course of the story. While these animations are finished, the team wants every corner of Replaced to have this same amount of attention.
“Unfortunately this also means we have to delay the game’s release,” the post says.
Important news on @REPLACEDGame and a message from us on why it takes so long 🥸
Thank you all for your immense patience and continued support! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/kt5GtFT9er
— Sad Cat Studios (@sadcatstudios) August 21, 2023
This isn’t the first Replaced delay. Last year, the Belarus-based developer announced that the project was delayed out of its initial 2022 window. Its reasons for a schedule change were different back then, however. At the time, the studio cited the effects of Russia’s war on Ukraine as the reason for the delay, adding that its priority is the safety of its staff.
Today’s Replaced delay stings but is certainly understandable. For more on Replaced, be sure to check out our interview with Sad Cat, where we learned more about its Batman: Arkham Asylum-inspired combat. Be sure to stay tuned for any future updates regarding a release date.
