Underworld Ascendant Unsurprisingly Delayed to 2017

In a new update for Underworld Ascendant, the developers confirmed what many of us already assumed would happen. The title won’t make it to its 2016 release date and has been pushed to next year. Considering how ambitious the game is and how often this happens for Kickstarter projects, I find it hard to be negative about this:

A Special Word from OtherSide’s Paul Neurath

It probably comes as no surprise, but it’s taking longer than we’d hoped for Underworld Ascendant to come together. The release will extend beyond the original November 2016 date.

Our goal is to make a game that’s not only wonderfully fun and super polished, but also genuinely innovative. We’re pushing hard on the Improvisation Engine, going deep with making The Stygian Abyss feel like a living and breathing dynamic environment, on achieving the subtle interplay with the Faction politics, and more.

Innovating is hard work, and not an entirely predictable process. The team learned this lesson on the original Underworlds, and with Thief: The Dark Project and other games that pushed the envelope. We do feel that taking the time to make the game great is the right call.

Before we will be ready to share an updated release date, we want to get over the hump on the key innovations and know that they are working smoothly. In February, we expect to share a new Prototype build with Backers that shows much progress.

We are hugely appreciative of your patience and support, and in being part of seeing this game come to life.

The full update also notes that a new stretch goal has been unlocked, meaning the developers will now work on an additional location, The Necropolis of The Ancients. There’s also a long write-up from Warren Spector, who reminisced on some of the memorable moments he encountered in the original Ultima Underworld, and an additional look at the ecology of the Stygian Abyss.