Replaced, the highly-anticipated cyberpunk platformer from Sad Cat Studios, has been delayed.
Replaced is the rather wonderful looking 2.5D “retro-futuristic” sci-fi platformer, which is set in an alternate 1980s America that has been scarred by a nuclear catastrophe. It plops players into the shoes of Reach, an AI who becomes unexpectedly trapped inside a human’s body.
But while we were once expecting to get our hands on Replaced next month, the developer has decided to delay its release a notch. In a statement, Sad Cat said while Replaced is “technically finished”, it feels a few more weeks to get the game fully “polished, stable, and true to the vision we’ve shared with you” would be beneficial. As such, Replaced will now launch across PC and Xbox Series X/S on 14th April.
In the meantime while we wait, there is a Replaced demo currently available to try out via Steam. Sad Cat called the response to Replaced’s demo thus far “the ultimate fuel” for the development team. “To be honest, putting it out there was nerve-wracking, but seeing your gameplay, reading your reviews, and hearing your excitement has been overwhelming in the best way possible,” Sad Cat said in the statement announcing Replaced’s delay.
“We are constantly reading your comments, and that feedback is helping us make the final tweaks that will make the full game shine.”
Sad Cat closed by thanking its community for its “patience and support” in the years since Replaced was first unveiled. “Many of you have followed us on this journey every step of the way, and seeing your passion is what makes these final days and nights of development worth it,” the studio said. “We are super close to the finish line and we can’t wait for you to experience the final results of years of hard work.”
This isn’t the first time Replaced has had its release date moved. Back in 2022, the studio was forced to delay Replaced due to the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Then, in 2023, it was delayed into 2024, then delayed once more into 2025.
I was recently lucky enough to go hands-on with Replaced. “I really think Replaced has the potential to be something special. I fully expect I will need tissues by the end of it, though, because I have theory about where things are going and well, yeah, emotions. And while emotions alone don’t always count for much, it’s the brutality and relevance of its dystopian setting that makes such a human heart matter,” I wrote in Eurogamer’s Replaced preview.
