Replaced delayed to 2023, Belarus-based dev cites war in Ukraine

Developer Sad Cat Studios and publisher Coatsink announced today that the release of Replaced, the upcoming sci-fi, retro-futuristic action platformer, has been delayed to 2023. Replaced was revealed for Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X during Xbox’s E3 2021 showcase. It’s scheduled to launch on Game Pass.

In a statement published on Twitter, the Belarusian studio stated that development on the game had been heavily impacted by the ongoing war in Ukraine. Coatsink, parent company Thunderful, and Sad Cat said the release date of the game has been pushed back from its original 2022 launch to prioritize the physical and mental health of the studio’s staff.

Replaced, which is set to be Sad Cat Studios’ debut title, has players control REACH, an artificial intelligence that finds itself trapped inside a human body, à la 2014’s The Fall, as they navigate a dilapidated city in an alternative version of the 1980s in search of answers to their own mysterious nature.

The game’s art style, a gorgeous combination of pixel art characters and environments with dynamic lighting and effects, feels reminiscent of the upcoming side-scrolling action adventure Somerville and cyberpunk platformer The Last Night.