The Rogue Prince of Persia was delayed in May 2024 after Hades II launched in Early Access eight days before its planned debut. Developer Evil Empire explicitly cited the timing of a same-genre release, while also saying the extra time would help polish the game, fix bugs and refine its day-one patch. The new date was May 27, 2024.
Why was The Rogue Prince of Persia delayed?
Evil Empire moved the planned Early Access launch from May 14 to May 27, 2024, after Hades II entered Early Access on May 6. In a statement quoted by Engadget on May 13, 2024, the developer pointed directly to the timing of the competing release:
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“While we have every confidence in The Rogue Prince of Persia, it’s not every day that a game in the same genre as you…will release into Early Access a week before you do the same.”
Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.“We are not prideful enough to ignore the implications of that, and we truly believe that this short delay is the best decision for us and our Early Access journey.”
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The Rogue Prince of Persia - PlayStation 5
- REWRITE FATE. SAVE PERSIA. DIE TRYING: Shape the legend of a Prince spared by death, whose fatal mistake doomed his people. Try your best to right your wrongs: each failure is a new chance to explore different paths, discover secrets, meet new characters, and use the knowledge gained from past attempts to change your people's fate and prove yourself as the true Prince of Persia!
- MASTER A FAST AND ACROBATIC STYLE: As the Prince of Persia, agility is your greatest weapon. Dodge traps, wall-run, chain acrobatic combos, and strike with precision. Every movement is an opportunity, and every battle will reward skill and style.
- FIGHT YOUR OWN WAY: Discover, unlock, and master over 100 unique weapons and medallions. Adapt, upgrade, and customize your build with each run, crafting deadly combinations that fit your playstyle.
- ONE MORE TRULY UNIQUE RUN: No run is ever the same. Dive back into this ever-evolving adventure, where narration, metaprogression, difficulty modifiers, random events, and procedurally generated levels will always leave you craving just one more unique run.
That makes Hades II part of Evil Empire’s stated reason for postponing the game. It does not establish that the original date would have produced a particular loss of sales or players; no quantified commercial effect was reported.
What did the delay give Evil Empire time to do?
The studio also described practical development work the postponement would allow: polishing the game, fixing bugs and refining the day-one patch. The explanation was therefore about both release timing and readiness, not audience competition alone.
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- REWRITE FATE. SAVE PERSIA. DIE TRYING: Shape the legend of a Prince spared by death, whose fatal mistake doomed his people. Try your best to right your wrongs: each failure is a new chance to explore different paths, discover secrets, meet new characters, and use the knowledge gained from past attempts to change your people's fate and prove yourself as the true Prince of Persia!
- MASTER A FAST AND ACROBATIC STYLE: As the Prince of Persia, agility is your greatest weapon. Dodge traps, wall-run, chain acrobatic combos, and strike with precision. Every movement is an opportunity, and every battle will reward skill and style.
- FIGHT YOUR OWN WAY: Discover, unlock, and master over 100 unique weapons and medallions. Adapt, upgrade, and customize your build with each run, crafting deadly combinations that fit your playstyle.
- ONE MORE TRULY UNIQUE RUN: No run is ever the same. Dive back into this ever-evolving adventure, where narration, metaprogression, difficulty modifiers, random events, and procedurally generated levels will always leave you craving just one more unique run.
How big was Hades II’s launch?
Contemporary reports put Hades II’s peak at roughly 102,000–103,000 concurrent players on Steam. The reports differed slightly: Engadget reported 102,000, while Game Developer reported more than 103,000. These are simultaneous Steam players, not copies sold, unique players or a count across all platforms. “Juggernaut” is headline language for a conspicuous launch, not a formal sales measure.
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When did the games launch?
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| November 14, 2023 | Supergiant said Hades II was planned for Early Access in Q2 2024 on Steam and the Epic Games Store, with later major updates shaped in part by player feedback. Supergiant’s announcement |
| May 6, 2024 | Hades II launched in Early Access on Steam and the Epic Games Store. Supergiant’s launch announcement |
| May 10, 2024 | Evil Empire announced that The Rogue Prince of Persia would miss its planned May 14 date and still launch in May. Game Developer’s report |
| May 13, 2024 | The Rogue Prince of Persia’s revised Early Access date was announced as May 27. Engadget’s report |
| September 25, 2025 | Hades II reached version 1.0, following Early Access that began in May 2024. Supergiant’s version 1.0 announcement |
Was the postponement a response to proven sales competition?
No public evidence cited in the contemporaneous coverage quantifies sales or revenue for either game’s May 2024 launch, or shows how many players The Rogue Prince of Persia gained or retained by moving its date. What is documented is narrower: Evil Empire said a same-genre Early Access launch one week earlier affected its scheduling decision, and the studio also wanted time for additional polish and bug fixes.
Quick Recap
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- REWRITE FATE. SAVE PERSIA. DIE TRYING: Shape the legend of a Prince spared by death, whose fatal mistake doomed his people. Try your best to right your wrongs: each failure is a new chance to explore different paths, discover secrets, meet new characters, and use the knowledge gained from past attempts to change your people's fate and prove yourself as the true Prince of Persia!
- MASTER A FAST AND ACROBATIC STYLE: As the Prince of Persia, agility is your greatest weapon. Dodge traps, wall-run, chain acrobatic combos, and strike with precision. Every movement is an opportunity, and every battle will reward skill and style.
- FIGHT YOUR OWN WAY: Discover, unlock, and master over 100 unique weapons and medallions. Adapt, upgrade, and customize your build with each run, crafting deadly combinations that fit your playstyle.
- ONE MORE TRULY UNIQUE RUN: No run is ever the same. Dive back into this ever-evolving adventure, where narration, metaprogression, difficulty modifiers, random events, and procedurally generated levels will always leave you craving just one more unique run.
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