Long-Awaited Xbox Game Pass Day One Game Gets Another Delay

Replaced, the upcoming Xbox and PC cyberpunk action-platformer by Sad Cat Studios, has just been delayed to April 14, 2026. This is the latest in a very long line of delays for Replaced, a game that was first announced back in 2021 during Xbox’s final ever E3 showcase.

When Replaced was first unveiled, it was given a release window of 2022. The game made a reappearance during the 2022 Game Awards, where it was given a new release window of 2023. Almost a year later, in September 2023, developer Sad Cat Studios announced it was pushing Replaced to 2024, saying that “this is our first game, and we want to make every aspect of it the best it can be.” Replaced then slipped again, and in August 2025 Sad Cat announced that it was now targeting a Spring 2026 release date. In December 2025, Replaced was finally given a firm release date of March 12, 2026.

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Replaced Has Been Delayed to April 2026

But today, less than a month out from launch, Sad Cat Studios has confirmed yet another delay for Replaced. Via an X post published on February 18, Sad Cat confirmed that Replaced has been delayed to April 14, 2026. The official announcement begins by stating that Replaced is “technically finished,” but in the studio’s journey to reach that point of completion, it’s realized that it needs just a few more weeks to ensure that the final product is “polished, stable, and true to the vision we’ve shared with you.”

Who’s That Character?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Who’s That Character?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)

Sad Cat Studios’ most recent delay announcement goes on to discuss the recent Replaced Steam demo, which was released on February 11. The statement says that the response to the demo has been “overwhelming in the best way possible” for the developers, and that fan feedback and first impressions are actively informing the tweaks that the team is currently making to the game. The delay announcement ends by thanking the community for its continued understanding and patience over the last few years, and states that the Replaced demo is still available for anyone who wants to try out the 2.5D action-platformer ahead of its new April 14, 2026 launch on Xbox Series X/S and PC.

Of course, Replaced will be available on Xbox Game Pass on its April 14 release date. While its original March release date would have had it hitting Game Pass the same month as Final Fantasy 3, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, and Planet of Lana 2, it currently stands as the only Xbox Game Pass title confirmed for April 2026 so far.

Replaced‘s new April release date also puts it in a month that’s arguably just as busy as March in terms of new releases. Konami’s Darwin’s Paradox! kicks off April with a colorful side-scrolling adventure game, while the long-awaited Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream releases just two days after Replaced. Peter Molyneux’s alleged last game, Masters of Albion, then launches the following week alongside Tides of Tomorrow and Pragmata. And April is set to end with a bang with Diablo 4‘s Vessel of Hatred expansion, Invincible VS, and Saros.

That all said, Replaced is likely to have quite a few eyes on it come April, despite the month’s growing line-up of heavy hitters. Along with being on many fans’ radar for half a decade, Replaced has also received a wealth of positive press previews in recent weeks. Eurogamer’s Victoria Phillips Kennedy, for instance, wrote that Replaced “has the potential to be something special,” praising the game’s strong emotional core, world design, combat, and art style in their recent preview.