Prison Architect 2 has been delayed indefinitely

Developer Kokku and publisher Paradox Interactive have announced that Prison Architect 2 has been delayed indefinitely. In a recent blog post, they explained that, following multiple internal reviews, more time is required to get the game to meet the teams’ standards and expectations.

Prison Architect 2 was originally slated for a September 3, 2024 release, but now the developer and publisher have collectively decided that it’s just not ready. In the announcement blog post, the team explains how, after multiple internal reviews, which are a core part of the development process under Paradox Interactive, performance and content weren’t up to the expected standards. As a result, development needs to continue until the game meets everybody’s expectations and feels like something players will be happy with.

No prison for you…yet

In its blog post, the development team candidly explains the reasons for Prison Architect 2‘s indefinite delay: “We want to make sure the game lives up to the franchise’s legacy and is released in a state that satisfies both you, our players, and the Prison Architect 2 teams at Kokku and Paradox Interactive.”

The post goes on to highlight how communication about development will become much less regular from now on. “At this stage, we can’t commit to a new release date as we need to re-assess the scope of the work needed to be done before the game is release-ready. Over the next few months, we will focus on improving the game and building a more robust release timeline. This also means we will be limiting our communication with you all until we have a timeline we feel comfortable with.”

Considering the game has just been indefinitely delayed, every pre-order will now be refunded across all platforms. If you want to secure those pre-order bonuses, though, don’t worry. Every pre-order item will now be added to the base game, so everyone gets them on day one.

Prison Architect 2 has some big shoes to fill as the sequel to the phenomenal prison management simulator, Prison Architect. The game’s shift of perspective from a top-down, 2D management title to a 3D view that allows you to get up close and personal with every aspect of the game, including the inmates, certainly looks set to make it stand out.

This change also brings the game in line with similar management simulators such as Planet Zoo, Planet Coaster, and Jurassic World Evolution. It retains its personality through its character sprites and the overall prison management gameplay experience, which I believe is unrivaled in the genre.

After reading through the Q&A section included in this development blog post, two things have become crystal clear. First, the game is not canceled. The teams are very keen to point this out. Second, the game’s performance is so poor that both internal and external testers had enough issues with it that it’s become a major problem.

I will always prefer a developer delaying a game until it’s ready over releasing it in a broken state and struggling or abandoning it entirely. We’ve seen what happens when a game is released too soon and when one is given the time it needs to cook. As a big fan of the original, I desperately want Prison Architect 2 to succeed, and I’m willing to wait until it’s ready.