Ori developer Moon Studios has shared an unfortunate update for Xbox players regarding the console release plans for its action RPG No Rest for the Wicked. Having launched in early access on PC last year, No Rest for the Wicked is due to make the jump to consoles soon, but it appears Xbox may be left out of the picture - at least initially.
Xbox and Moon Studios first collaborated over a decade ago for 2015's Ori and the Blind Forest, a critically-acclaimed 2D platformer that did wonders to put the developer on the map. It was followed up by 2020's Ori and the Will of the Wisps, which fared even better critically. Given the multi-year partnership between Xbox and Moon Studios, it came as no surprise that the Xbox Series X/S were listed among the launch platforms for No Rest for the Wicked - the team's latest game - when it was announced in late 2023.
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Posts 7However, a recent comment from Moon Studios has cast doubt on the prospect of an Xbox release when No Rest for the Wicked launches on consoles. In a message posted on the game's official Discord server, Moon Studios CEO Thomas Mahler stated that No Rest for the Wicked may only be released on PS5 and potentially the Nintendo Switch 2 "for the time being." He cited "current market conditions" as the reason, likely alluding to the glacial rate of adoption for Xbox Series X/S consoles in recent years.
No Rest for the Wicked Might Launch on PS5 and Switch 2 Before Xbox Series X/S
CloseIt's worth noting, though, that Mahler's words don't imply a cancelation of No Rest for the Wicked's Xbox Series X/S version. He even added that Moon Studios would need to have further discussions with Microsoft before finalizing Xbox release plans for No Rest for the Wicked, so it's evident that things aren't set in stone at the moment and can change depending on how the talks go. Since Moon Studios went fully independent in March 2025, the team is reliant on itself to fund continued development of No Rest for the Wicked, and therefore would be more fiscally judicious when it comes to platforms that would help turn a profit for the action RPG.
Given current market conditions, we might only release on PS5 and potentially Switch 2 for the time being - we'll have to discuss things with MS to see what makes sense for Xbox.
Still, Xbox's possible omission from No Rest for the Wicked's initial console launch wouldn't be the first time Series X/S users have had to wait a while to play a multiplatform game. One of the most notorious examples of this was 2024's mega-hit action RPG Black Myth: Wukong, which launched only on PS5 and PC due to optimization woes with Xbox Series S. This led to lots of unsubstantiated back-and-forth reports alleging a secret PS5 console exclusivity deal for Black Myth: Wukong. Developer Game Science finally put an end to the speculation last month when it announced that Black Myth: Wukong will launch on Xbox Series X/S on August 23, 2025.
