That’s a bummer: Frictional’s Soma follow-up Ontos has been delayed into 2027

To be truthful, these days it’s generally surprising when a game isn’t delayed these days, whether that be for a month, months, or even a full year. But perhaps in a year like this one, where a certain game that promises to engulf every other game around it like that black hole it truly is is due for release in November, you can’t blame a studio opting to delay to get things in ship shape. Which is exactly what Frictional are doing with Ontos, pushing their next game from this year into 2027.

That game about theft and cars isn’t cited as the reason for the delay to be clear. Frictional explain it thusly: “Ontos is our most ambitious game to date, both in terms of its size and scale, and in the depth and layers of our story and gameplay. In order to deliver this vision, we have decided to push the release of Ontos to 2027. We look forward to sharing more updates about Ontos, our characters, and our world soon.” That’s all followed by some jumbled characters I’m not sure the website will like very much, so see the original Tweet for that.

Ontos was first revealed last year at Geoff’s Christmas Night of Giving Out Shiny Pieces of Metal, and marks Frictional’s first completely new game since 2015’s (really quite excellent and existentially awful) sci-fi horror Soma. Where that one put you at the bottom of the ocean, Ontos goes the opposite direction, sending you to the moon to try and figure out what your estranged father got up to up there. “What begins as a search for answers quickly spirals into something far stranger,” the game’s description explains. “As you delve deeper, guided by fragments of your father’s past, you must confront disturbing revelations about the nature of reality- and your place in it.”

It’s not really all that clear what you actually do in Ontos just yet. Its Steam page description notes that it is an “immersive narrative with a tactile, systems-driven gameplay experience. Ingenuity and research are your greatest weapons. You’ll scavenge materials, manipulate intricate machinery, and engage with analog systems requiring careful calibration and hands-on interaction.” Sure! But what does that mean? Dunno! There’s a big ole moonbase to explore, though, and that paired with the vibes on display is enough for me.

You can wishlist it on Steam right here while you wait for that 2027 release.