Hello Architects,
We have some difficult news to share: unfortunately, we will not release Prison Architect 2 on September 3rd because we need more time to improve both the game's performance and its content. Our continuous internal reviews and beta test groups have highlighted areas that we need to focus on more, mainly performance and content, which we need to address before launch to ensure that you, the players, get a good experience in the game. We need to raise the quality a bit more to meet the standards we'd like to achieve with this sequel.
We are confident that the sequel to Prison Architect will be great, and we're looking forward to showing you all the new ideas brought into it: the switch to 3D, multi-floors, and the new behavior system that all bring a new dimension to the game and open new gameplay possibilities for the players. However, we want to make sure the game lives up to the franchise’s legacy and is released in a state that satisfies both you, our players, and the Prison Architect 2 teams at Kokku and Paradox Interactive.
At this stage, we can’t commit to a new release date as we need to re-assess the scope of the work needed to be done before the game is release-ready. Over the next few months, we will focus on improving the game and building a more robust release timeline. This also means we will be limiting our communication with you all until we have a timeline we feel comfortable with.
With this indefinite delay, preorders on all platforms will be refunded, and the preorder items will be added to the base game.
This decision aligns with our commitment here at Paradox to reviewing and improving the quality of our released content. We are confident that delaying Prison Architect 2 is the best path forward for the game, allowing us more time to deliver a high-quality experience that honors the legacy of Prison Architect.
This is not the announcement we hoped to make, but it is necessary, as we believe this will result in a better game for you. Thank you for your patience, and we’ll see you again soon.
The Prison Architect 2 Team
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QnA
What is the new release date?
There is no new release date for Prison Architect 2 at this time. We will work on the game and as soon as we have a set timeline we will communicate it to you.
Is the game canceled?
No, the game is not canceled. We are confident in the game but we want to raise the quality before release, mainly the performance. We will communicate a new release date as soon as we have reworked the game’s scope and have a timeline we are confident in.
Why is there another delay?
To raise the game’s quality by enhancing performance and also improving its content. During our latest rounds of internal reviews and from gathering feedback from our beta testers, some specific issues regarding performance and content were highlighted. We believe it is important that we address these before releasing the game to ensure that it lives up to its legacy.
What happens to pre-orders?
All pre-orders will be refunded in the upcoming weeks. The option to pre-order the game will be removed and the bonus will instead be added to the base game for all players to enjoy.
If you want the refund faster there are ways to go about this depending on which platform you’ve pre-ordered the game on:
If you have made your pre-order through Xbox, PlayStation, or Steam, you can reach out to the platform you made the purchase through and they will help you sort this out.
Players who purchased the game directly from paradoxinteractive.com will receive the reimbursement automatically, which may take a few weeks. If you want to get it earlier than that, go to wallet.xsolla.com and log in with the same Paradox account you used for the purchase. There, you will see all purchases listed, and from there you can request a refund before the automatic re-payment.
Why is it taking time to fix the game?
Prison Architect is a game with deep systems that all interact with each other, and this is also something we want to bring with us into the sequel, Prison Architect 2. Having systems like this in a game also means that a small change in one area will also affect one or more other areas, which we then also need to apply fixes to. Improving the performance has proven to be a task that will take time.
Is there going to be Early Access or Beta Access to the game?
There will not be an early access or extra beta access right now. We know what things we need to work with, and facilitating Early Access or Beta access for players takes a lot of resources from the development team. Right now we want to put full focus on the development and solving the underlying issues that we have gotten feedback through our internal tests and from our beta testers.
Will we get updates on the game?
While we re-assess the scope of the work needed to be done we will be having limited communication. We do plan, with time, to continue with dev diaries and other updates so that you, the players, can stay up-to-date on the progress of the game.