Aeterna Lucis, the sequel to 2021’sAeterna Noctis, was reportedly set to release next month.
It’s intended to be another fast-pacedMetroidvaniathat features a new protagonist, a larger interconnected world, and the continuation of the plot from the first game.
I say “reportedly” because developer Aeternum Game Studios has announced that the game is being delayed until 2026.
No, it doesn’t need more time in the oven, polish, or anything of the sort; Aeternum said the game is already finished, in fact. So then, why the delay? Because of, and I’m dead serious,Hollow Knight: Silksong.
Aeterna Lucis Is Finished, But Being Delayed To Avoid Releasing So Close To Silksong
Aeterum Game Studios released an official statement onX, formerly known as Twitter, that goes into detail on their initial release plans and how they’re changing things moving forward.
Our initial plan was to launch [Aeterna Lucis] this September, but after the announcement of Silksong, we are fully aware that our game wouldn’t have the visibility it deserves. Competing with a phenomenon of that scale would not only be unfair to our team’s effort, but also to you, the community, who expect to experience this adventure under the best possible conditions.
In addition, we still don’t have all the necessary development kits to ensure a simultaneous release on all next-generation platforms. To be transparent, we believe the best decision for everyone is to step back and bring you Aeterna Lucis at the right time.
That’s why we’ve made the difficult but necessary choice to delay the release to 2026.
The developers reiterate that the game is already finished, and they’ll be using this time for polishing and refinement with the hopes of making sure Aeterna Lucis is a “perfect experience our community deserves.” They also took the time to acknowledgeTeam Cherryon what they know will be a successful launch.
Delaying a game to avoid a major release isn’t a new strategy; it’s something that developers have been working on to make sure they’re not overshadowed by another major game release coming in 2026:Grand Theft Auto VI.
