Highlights
- Moon Studios surprises fans with its next game, No Rest for the Wicked, shifting away from the Ori series and venturing into a fantasy/medieval world filled with swords and action.
- No Rest for the Wicked will feature a hand-crafted world with a distinctive painting art style and a focus on verticality, offering players a new and innovative experience in the Action Role Playing Game genre.
- Fans eagerly awaiting more details on No Rest for the Wicked can tune in to a planned "Wicked Inside" showcase on March 1, 2024, where gameplay and additional information will be revealed.
During The Game Awards, Moon Studios reveals its next game as No Rest for the Wicked, something completely different from its past work with Ori and the Blind Forest. Moon Studios, originally founded in 2010 as a "virtual studio" due to its large contingent of remote employees, gained critical acclaim after launching its first title in 2015 called Ori and the Blind Forest. The 2D Metroidvania platformer not only received universal acclaim from both critics and players alike, the game also took home plenty of end of the year awards include Best Art Direction.
Moon followed that up 5 years later with Ori and the Will of the Wisps, returning to that familiar gameplay and visual style, which leaned heavily on bright and vibrant colors. In fact, just like its predecessor, many called Ori and the Will of the Wisps one of the best examples of artistic expression in video gaming. Naturally, fans began to wonder what Moon Studios would be working on next and, after 3 long years, the studio has finally revealed its newest upcoming game.
Microsoft Passed on Moon Studios' Next Game Because of Workplace Conditions
Microsoft reportedly is aware of the toxic workplace environment at Moon Studios and has decided not to work with the company again.
During the 2023 Game Awards, Moon Studios announced their next game, known as No Rest for the Wicked. Unlike Moon's previous games, Wicked is something completely different both in visual style and gameplay. The trailer shows off an almost fantasy/medieval style world filled with swords, blood, and action. Moon has confirmed that No Rest for the Wicked will be a hand-crafted world using a "distinctive painting art style" with a focus on verticality as players explore the island of Isola Sacra.
The reveal likely surprised fans as No Rest for the Wicked is a complete shift away from what the Moon Studios has previously released, though many fans were likely hoping for a third Ori game. According to an accompanying blog post, Moon Studios calls this a passion project as it attempts to innovate on the Action Role Playing Game genre. The game doesn't currently have a release date, but it has been confirmed for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC. Fans looking for more details will want to tune in to a planned "Wicked Inside" showcase planned for March 1, 2024 where more details and gameplay will be revealed.
It's been a longer than anticipated wait for details on No Rest for the Wicked. Earlier this year, Moon Studios cofounder Thomas Mahler teased fans with news of the then unannounced title, calling it a "make or break" moment for the studio as they attempt to revolutionize the ARPG genre. Considering that Diablo 4 would eventually launch later that year and posed a potential challenge for other ARPG style games, Mahler admitted that he loved the challenge and wasn't shying away.
No Rest for the Wicked
From Moon Studios, creators of the Ori franchise, is an ARPG-style game called No Rest for the Wicked. The plague Pestilence has swept over the land and King Harol has died, leaving the land in turmoil. Players become a Cerim, a member of a group of holy warriors sworn to take up arms against Pestilence and cleanse the land.
