Moon Studios, known for its critically acclaimed ‘Ori series,’ has made a bold move by acquiring the publishing rights to “No Rest for the Wicked” from Take-Two Interactive, thus declaring itself as ‘independent.’ The PC, PS5, and Xbox Series S/X versions of No Rest for the Wicked will be available after its April 2024 Steam Early Access release.
The game studios shared the update in a new Wicked Inside Showcase presentation after remaining tight-lipped on the issue since the release of The Crucible content update for the No Rest for the Wicked, which was rolled out in June last year.
“After months of negotiations, we reached an agreement to buy the publishing rights for No Rest for the Wicked back so that Moon Studios can become fully independent. This legal process took time, and we couldn’t say much while it was happening,” studio co-founder and director Gennadiy Korol said in the video.
“But today, we’re excited to announce that it’s all done, and that Moon Studios is now fully independent,” Moon Studios CEO and creative director Thomas Mahler said. “We believe this will give you even more confidence in our vision because we’re free to build No Rest for the Wicked exactly how we want, without needing to ever go silent again,” he added.
Take-Two published No Rest for the Wicked under its subsidiary Private Division when the game was launched in its early access phase on Steam in 2024. But in order to concentrate on its main titles, Take-Two sold the independent gaming label in November 2024. The buyer also purchased the rights to the majority of Private Division’s live and unreleased games; however, Take-Two decided to keep the rights to No Rest for the Wicked.
The creators of Ori and the Blind Forest and Ori and the Will of Wisps, Moon Studios, are behind the top-down action-RPG No Rest for the Wicked. Last year, the game was made available in Steam Early Access after being announced in 2023. No Rest for the Wicked will be available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series S/X; however, the complete version’s release date has not been confirmed.
