Malevolent Delayed on Xbox/NS2, Producer Clarifies Not Exclusive

Moon Studios has confirmed that No Rest for the Wicked will not launch simultaneously on Xbox Series S and Switch 2 this October. The action RPG remains on track for PC, Steam Deck, and PS5—but the two memory-constrained consoles face delays tied to technical optimization, not an exclusivity deal.

Producer Thomas Mahler addressed rumors directly, explaining that the development team spent months evaluating the technical costs required to ship each platform to the quality standard they want. The game's backend must continuously simulate and stream a dynamic world, loading and unloading massive amounts of data during play. Every megabyte matters under these constraints, and the studio refuses to push out a subpar port just to hit a launch window.

The Ori series set a precedent here. Both titles ran at locked 60fps on Nintendo's hardware—a technical achievement that raises expectations for whatever comes next. Mahler stated that "No Rest for the Wicked should deliver an absolutely stunning experience regardless of platform," which usually means extended development time wrestling with hardware limitations rather than rushing compromised ports to market.

Community speculation initially pointed toward an exclusivity arrangement, but Mahler's swift clarification suggests the team recognized the narrative heading in the wrong direction. The reality is simpler: memory constraints on Xbox Series S and Switch 2 demand deeper optimization than originally planned.

The takeaway for anyone watching this release is simple. The game will appear on these platforms—the question is whether the extra development time produces something worth the wait. Moon Studios' history with the Ori series suggests their caution here is a calculated bet that delayed, polished ports beat on-time disasters.