Few games are as high on my personal wishlist as No Rest for the Wicked 1.0. The dark fantasy ARPG is the latest project from Ori developer Moon Studios, and it’s one of the few creations in recent years where I’ve been sucked deep into the early access build instead of waiting for full release. Unfortunately, the team has just confirmed that its planned October 2026 launch is being delayed into March 2027, as it pursues “a standard we won’t compromise on.” That’s certainly sad news, although I’m thankful that it does provide a little relief to what’s already a very busy release calendar.
“We share your excitement for the October launch, and we’ve felt the encouragement from every corner of the world,” the No Rest for the Wicked studio writes. “Thank you so much for that. The honest truth is that we’re a small team, and we’re holding our games to a standard we won’t compromise on. We’re close but close isn’t good enough for our full 1.0 launch.” As a result, it’s taking an extra five months to ensure the level of polish is up to scratch.
“The extra time will help us improve performance, tighten the class system, and polish the whole game to the standard you deserve,” Moon Studios explains. “We’d rather take a few more months than ship something that we know isn’t quite perfect yet.” It notes that you can expect additional closed and open beta tests for the full release in the months to come, “which means you, our community, can get your hands on it and help us shape the final 1.0 build.”
I’ve absolutely fallen in love with No Rest for the Wicked, pouring hours into its early access, particularly since the ‘Together’ update in January 2026 that transformed it into a co-op game. It adopts the top-down perspective of a Diablo or Path of Exile but with slower, more intentional combat reminiscent of Dark Souls and Elden Ring. Those influences are clear, yet the action in NRFTW feels uniquely its own, with an intoxicating sense of momentum to both its movement and attacks.
Game Director Thomas Mahler notes that since the launch of No Rest for the Wicked Together, Moon Studios has “been on this mad dash to add more content, bring all the 1.0 stuff in, add the class system, and so on.” He continues, “We’ve been playtesting a lot, and the truth is simply that, well, we’re not quite there yet.”
Mahler announces that the next open PTR will take place in December, “where everybody can play or see a lot of the new features, and can play some of the new content that we already have available, including obviously the class system.” He notes that this will be the last playtest before the launch in March.
“I hope you folks understand that this has been a huge passion project of ours,” Mahler remarks, pointing out that the first prototypes began a full decade ago, in 2016. “Given that we’re in the last couple of months, we’d just like to take that extra time to make sure that we land this plane safely and that we don’t ship with any silly little bugs left. We want everybody to just have a wonderful experience, and ship one of those generational games.”
No Rest for the Wicked 1.0 will now be released in March 2027. If you purchase the game prior to Friday January 1, 2027, you’ll now be eligible to receive Founders Pack rewards. Moon Studios adds that it will be putting out a ‘Wicked Inside’ developer update for players soon. “Thank you for continuing to stick with us and being as passionate as you are, it genuinely means everything.”
While I’m naturally a little sad about this news, ultimately my feelings are that of relief. I’ll always encourage developers to take the extra time to hone their game to a standard they’re happy with, if they can afford to do so. On top of that, the end of 2026 is already looking so stacked with new releases that I’m quite grateful I can leave No Rest for the Wicked on the proverbial back burner until early next year. I’ll absolutely be right at the front of the line once March rolls around, however.
