Summary
- Stylish cyberpunk platformer Replaced is set to release on Xbox Game Pass in the second half of 2024.
- Originally targeting a 2022 release, the game was hit with several delays due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and subsequent development challenges.
Replaced will finally reach Xbox Game Pass in the second half of 2024, as confirmed by a newly emerged financial report. The stylish cyberpunk platformer was originally revealed at E3 2021.
The first-ever game from Minsk, Belarus-based Sad Cat Studios was initially targeting a 2022 release. However, Replaced was then delayed to 2023 due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Its second postponement was announced back in August 2023, when Sad Cat said that the game would slip into the following year.
Thunderful Group—the parent company of the game's publisher, Coatsink—has now narrowed down that release window, with its latest financial report revealing that Replaced is planned to hit the market in the second half of 2024. Two more externally developed Thunderful projects code-named Peach and Snowflake should also reach PC and consoles during this six-month period, although it's unclear whether either will follow in Replaced's footsteps and debut as a day one release for Xbox Game Pass. The publisher is also planning to launch a new internally developed SteamWorld game for mobile devices in the second half of 2024, as per its newly shared roadmap.
While repeated delays aren't exactly an encouraging sign, especially when it comes to debut titles from indie studios, Replaced is still touted as a day one Xbox Game Pass title to watch in 2024. That's in no small part thanks to its distinct art style that combines cyberpunk with beautifully shaded pixel art into a stylish visual package. The very premise of the game is no less promising, revolving around an AI trapped in a human body that's trying to adjust to its new existence in the middle of a dangerous, retro futuristic city. Between all that and a gameplay loop that seeks to deliver engaging 2.5D platforming segments combined with free-flowing combat, Replaced shows a lot of promise.
Replaced Developer Update History
- June 2021: announced with a 2022 release window.
- May 2022: delayed to 2023.
- August 2023: delayed to 2024.
And while its initial delay was Sad Cat's reaction to the ongoing war in Ukraine, its second postponement was motivated by the studio's desire to keep refining the game in order to make sure it meets the online "community's expectations" resulting from its first two trailers. Aside from the last two generations of Xbox consoles and Xbox Game Pass, Replaced will also launch on Steam.
The game itself isn't the only interesting indie project that's planned to debut on Microsoft's subscription service in the second half of 2024. The same description can be used for Vapor World: Over The Mind, another day one title for Xbox Game Pass inspired by Sekiro and Bloodborne.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is the highest tier of Microsoft's flagship game subscription service that offers over 100 game titles that you can play with a single purchase, making it one of the most outstanding value propositions of the Xbox ecosystem to date.
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra infoSource: GameInfinitus