Replaced, the 2.5D pixel-art, retro-futuristic, cyberpunk-themed platformer that was first announced in 2021, has a new release window from developer Sad Cat Studios, with game director Yura Zhdanovich announcing, "with confidence," that Replaced will arrive on PC and Xbox Series X/S in Spring 2026.
When Replaced was revealed in 2021, it was one of the more enticing games coming to Xbox, and players were keen to get their hands on it in 2022, when it was initially due to launch. It wasn't Zhdanovich's or the rest of Sad Cat Studios' plan to have Replaced go five years between its official announcement and release, but neither could have predicted Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and the impact it would have on the Belarus-based development team.
If not for the invasion, Replaced would have likely been released years ago. But the invasion, coupled with the regular complications and struggles of developing a game, pushed its launch back to 2026. In today's development update from the studio (published through IGN), with Zhdanovich narrating, he went through a bit of the journey the game has been on, and showed how it has improved from its prototyping phase to now.
"We know that our community is incredibly excited to play REPLACED and it’s no secret that it’s taken longer than we initially thought to deliver that to you all - we apologise for that," Zhdanovich added in a press release. "We’ve always been trying to do what’s right for the project, which in turn, means delivering to you a truly special experience. The good news is that we now are very close to finishing production and Replaced will be coming to PC and Xbox Series X|S in Spring 2026."
For now, we have a release window to look forward to. Later this year, Zhdanovich confirmed that the studio will debut the final trailer for the game, at which point we'll also learn the specific release date.
About the author: David has been writing about videogames, technology, and culture since 2020, with a focus on reporting daily news across multiple publications, including GameDaily.Biz, GameSkinny, and PlayStation Universe before joining Wccftech in 2025. David started contributing as Canada/US reporter for Wccftech's gaming section in 2025. Besides being up-to-date on the industry's movements, he loves interviewing developers, reviewing games, and writing intricate essays about the symbolism and layered meanings to be found in rich narratives as he's done for publications like GamesIndustry.Biz, LostInCult, and others. Outside of games he loves movies, music, theatre, his hometown, and his family, though not necessarily in that order.
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