It looks like Xbox fans may have to wait a little longer to get their hands on No Rest for the Wicked – the dark, heavily stylized action RPG from the coveted studio behind bangers such as Ori and the Blind Forest (your cue to absolutely play that gem!).
Despite initially being expected on all major platforms, recent reports suggest that No Rest for the Wicked may not launch on Xbox day one. And while that’s not the final nail in the coffin, it’s enough of a “maybe” to get fans buzzing – and sadly not necessarily in a good way.
Let’s talk about it.
Moon Studios Decides on a Different Path (For Now)
Moon Studios has built up some serious goodwill over the years, thanks largely to the emotional, gorgeous worlds of Ori and the Blind Forest and its sequel, Will of the Wisps. So when they revealed No Rest for the Wicked, excitement was sure to follow – and sure enough, it did. Despite the fact that it’s a massive shift in genre, trust in Moon Studios was big enough to oversee that fact.
As you might’ve guessed, this newest outing in the studio’s portfolio isn’t their typical side-scrolling platformer. Wicked is a gritty, top-down action RPG with (admittedly) brutal combat and deep, meaningful customization options for players to sink their teeth into, drawing early comparisons to Diablo and Dark Souls – at least in tonality. It’s really exactly the kind of genre Xbox and PC players love – but now it seems like they may have to sleep on this one for a while.
According to a recent developer Q&A, Moon Studios is currently focused on PC and PlayStation, with Xbox support marked only as planned, not guaranteed for launch. The audacious reason, you might wonder? Well: Market conditions. Make of that what you will.
What “Market Conditions” Could Really Mean
Okay, we admit – “market conditions” is about as vague as it gets, even in the gam-o-sphere. But if we read between the lines, this likely boils down to development resources and return on investment, so in short; money.
Moon Studios is still technically an indie team, and while it’s true that they’re partnering with Take-Two’s Private Division for publishing, that doesn’t give them unlimited bandwidth to play around with. Prioritizing platforms that offer the best performance – or even the biggest player base – makes sense from a business standpoint.
There’s also the very real possibility that the Xbox version is simply taking longer to optimize, if we’re being honest. Don’t get us wrong, the Xbox Series X/S hardware is very capable, but devs have often mentioned challenges when dealing with their SDK and split console approach.
Still, Moon Studios hasn’t actually ruled Xbox out. They’ve made it clear that an Xbox version is still in the pipeline – just not on day one. We’re still mad about it though.
What not getting No Rest for the Wicked on day 1 Means for Xbox Players
Truly, this wouldn’t be the first time Xbox players had to wait for a highly anticipated release. It’s happened with titles like Final Fantasy VII Remake or even the highly acclaimed Baldur’s Gate 3, both of which arrived on PlayStation first, before making their way to Xbox a couple of months later.
But hold on, there’s a twist incoming here: Moon Studios has a deep connection with the Xbox brand. Ori was an Xbox exclusive when it launched, after all. In fact, the franchise really helped define the Xbox Game Pass era. So seeing their next big title potentially skip Xbox at launch hits a little different. Remember Croc being conceptualized as a Nintendo-owned Yoshi game? Yeah. That’s the kind of feeling that evokes.
All that said – the studio’s open communication has softened the blow a bit. They haven’t shut the door, they’ve just asked for a little patience.
Could Xbox Game Pass Change the Game?
Here’s a fun idea though: what if Xbox is already working behind the scenes to secure No Rest for the Wicked as a future Game Pass day-one release once it’s done and ready?
It wouldn’t be the first time Xbox swooped in post-launch with a major Game Pass addition. Let’s face it – Wicked would be a perfect fit for the service, given its genre, co-op features, and long-term replayability.
If Xbox can’t have it on day one, they might be biding their time to bring it in with maximum impact.
Here’s to hope!
