Private Division and Moon Studios Announce No Rest for the Wicked

Watch the trailer for this visceral Action Role-Playing Game with its unique, painterly art style.

More to be revealed during the ‘Wicked Inside’ showcase on March 1, 2024!

Private Division, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), and Moon Studios today announced No Rest for the Wicked, a mature, precision Action Role-Playing Game (ARPG) that is poised to reinvent the genre. This title is Moon’s bold foray into the genre after successfully launching two critically acclaimed, multiple award-winning games - Ori and the Blind Forest and Ori and the Will of the Wisps. No Rest for the Wicked will be released in Early Access on PC (via Steam) in the first quarter of calendar 2024 during Take-Two’s Fiscal Year 2024, with a full release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC planned for some time after Early Access. Check out the official trailer, which premiered during this year’s The Game Awards, on YouTube.

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Private Division, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), and Moon Studios today announced No Rest for the Wicked, a mature, precision Action Role-Playing Game (ARPG) that is poised to reinvent the genre. This title is Moon’s bold foray into the genre after successfully launching two critically acclaimed, multiple award-winning games - Ori and the Blind Forest and Ori and the Will of the Wisps. No Rest for the Wicked will be released in Early Access on PC (via Steam) in the first quarter of calendar 2024 during Take-Two’s Fiscal Year 2024, with a full release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC planned for some time after Early Access. Check out the official trailer, which premiered during this year’s The Game Awards, on YouTube. (Photo: Business Wire)

Further details about the game will be announced during “Wicked Inside”, a digital showcase airing on March 1, 2024, on Twitch and YouTube. For more information on “Wicked Inside”, subscribe on YouTube, follow us on X, become a fan on Facebook or Instagram, and visit www.NoRestForTheWicked.com.

No Rest for the Wicked introduces a hand-crafted world, rich in details and with an inimitable, “painting” art style. Players explore an intricate and vast island called Isola Sacra that allows them to experience verticality in a way that is unmatched in other ARPGs with spelunking depths of crypts, lush forests, and treacherous mountain passes. Each location is home to complex protagonists with their own problems, hidden treasures, ferocious creatures, and secrets to discover.

With No Rest for the Wicked’s brutal, precision-based combat system, Moon Studios is pushing the envelope on the art of combat. Fights in the game are animation-driven, direct, and tactile, allowing skilled players to combine visceral strikes and deadly moves. This innovative combat system results in a highly satisfying gameplay experience that is unique in isometric ARPGs, where skill and timing is required over simple “button-mashing.”

"We have been dreaming of being able to contribute to the ARPG genre that we all grew up with and love. After the success of Ori, it was clear to us that Moon was now mature enough to finally realize those dreams,” said Thomas Mahler, Co-Founder and Creative Director at Moon Studios. “We can't wait to see how players will react to this entirely new take on the genre!"

No Rest for the Wicked’s painterly art direction and brutal combat is complemented by a dark, mature narrative: In the year 841, a pivotal moment dawns upon the kingdom, marked by the passing of King Harol Bolein. A devastating conflict arises when a peaceful transition of power devolves into chaos. In addition to this political turmoil, a deadly plague has reemerged on the remote island of Sacra, twisting the land and its inhabitants. Players must brandish their arms in an effort to quell both the grotesque beasts and the Kingdom’s invading army throughout a turbulent atmosphere where they are pulled in every direction.

"For the past six years we’ve been hard at work on our dream passion project - a next-level ARPG, fueled by our love and ambition for tight gameplay mechanics and world building,” said Gennadiy Korol, Co-Founder, Technology and Production Director at Moon Studios. “We are excited to reveal our own take on what we’ve always envisioned as the core canons of the ARPG genre, while taking the next steps to reimagine the elements we consider ripe for innovation.”

In No Rest for the Wicked’s multiplayer mode players can share their world and progress with up to three friends by their side in the campaign’s online co-op mode. Every quest, boss, and square foot of Isola Sacra is theirs to share with others…or they can simply venture off and do as they please.

“The wildly-talented team at Moon Studios has a proven track record of outstanding releases with a truly unique art style,” said Michael Worosz, Chief Strategy Officer, Take-Two Interactive, and Head of Private Division. “Bringing a game like ‘Wicked’ to the world is exactly the reason why we founded Private Division, and I can’t wait for gamers to experience what Moon has created.”

No Rest for the Wicked is in development and does not yet have an announced release date. It is expected to first release in Early Access on Steam during Take-Two's Fiscal Year 2024. A full release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC is planned for some time after Early Access. More details will be revealed during “Wicked Inside”, the digital showcase airing on March 1, 2024. No Rest for the Wicked is not yet rated by the ESRB. For more information on No Rest for the Wicked, subscribe on YouTube, follow us on X, become a fan on Facebook or Instagram, and visit www.NoRestForTheWicked.com.

Private Division is a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO).

About Moon Studios

Moon Studios is an independent video game development studio, founded in 2010 by Thomas Mahler and Gennadiy Korol. Moon Studios partnered with Microsoft to publish their first titles: In 2015, Moon Studios released Ori and the Blind Forest, which quickly became a critical darling and a huge commercial success. In 2016 they released the Ori and the Blind Forest Definitive Edition and ultimately followed up with their sequel, Ori and the Will of the Wisps in 2020. The sequel once again became a critical and commercial breakthrough title. The studio has won numerous awards for their work on the Ori series, including winning Best Art Direction at the 2015 Game Awards, a BAFTA and many others. In 2018, Moon Studios announced that they partnered with Private Division to publish their new project. Moon Studios mainly focuses on highly refined gameplay mechanics within its products and prides itself on an excessive ‘iterative polish’ process. Moon Studios was one of the first development studios in the industry to work fully remote: All team members are spread throughout the world, allowing Moon to work with the best and most talented people in the games industry.

About Private Division

Private Division is a developer-focused publisher that partners with the finest creative talent in the video game industry, empowering studios to develop the games that they are passionate about creating, while providing the support that they need to make their titles critically and commercially successful on a global scale. The Label publishes the Kerbal Space Program franchise, Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey from Panache Digital Games, The Outer Worlds from Obsidian Entertainment, OlliOlli World and Rollerdrome from Roll7, After Us from Piccolo Studio, Penny’s Big Breakaway from Evening Star and more. Private Division has future unannounced projects in development with Moon Studios, Yellow Brick Games, Wētā Workshop, Game Freak, and other esteemed independent developers. The Label publishes the physical retail edition of Hades from Supergiant Games on PlayStation®, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One. Private Division continues to build its internal studio capacity, with Roll7 and Intercept Games as internal developers for the Label. Private Division is headquartered in New York City with offices in Seattle, Las Vegas, and Munich. For more information, please visit www.privatedivision.com.

About Take-Two Interactive Software

Headquartered in New York City, Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is a leading developer, publisher, and marketer of interactive entertainment for consumers around the globe. We develop and publish products principally through Rockstar Games, 2K, Private Division, and Zynga. Our products are designed for console gaming systems, PC, and mobile, including smartphones and tablets. We deliver our products through physical retail, digital download, online platforms, and cloud streaming services. The Company’s common stock is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the symbol TTWO. For more corporate and product information please visit our website at http://www.take2games.com.

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