Featured Image Credit: Thunderful Publishing
Topics: Indie Games, PC, Xbox, Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X
Topics: Indie Games, PC, Xbox, Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X
Stylish cyberpunk adventure game Replaced is coming in 2026, and will be a Day One freebie for Xbox Game Pass subscribers.
Replaced was revealed over four years ago, and it looks like the game is finally setting its sights on a 2026 release date.
Although a concrete release date hasn’t been announced yet, we already know the game will be launched next Spring and will come to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate as a Day 1 title.
Replaced is a 2.5D cyberpunk platformer where you play as an artificial intelligence called R.E.A.C.H, who is trapped inside a human body against its own will.
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You explore the depths of Phoenix City, where everything is ruled by corruption and greed. It’s here where humans are seen as expendable, nothing more than just a way of getting rich.
R.E.A.C.H’s journey will have them learn how to be human in a society that has taken a turn for the worst, and hopefully they’ll be able to find a bit of solace in finding their place in this unfamiliar world.
Replaced is described by its developer Sad Cat Studios as a game that “combines cinematic platformer, pixel art, and free-flow action combat with a deep engaging dystopian story set in an alternative 1980s.”
So, think of it as less Cyberpunk 2077, and more Hollow Knight in a completely different setting. That's my interpretation of it, anyway.
It feels very much inspired by the themes and aesthetic of cyberpunk (or proto-cyberpunk) films of the 1980s such as Blade Runner, Escape From New York, and RoboCop.
Indeed, look at some of those gorgeous neon-stripped signs, the silhouetted outlines of Phoenix City’s nameless pedestrians baked against the soft backlight of the game’s urban underbelly. This game is certainly going to be a feast for the eyes when it launches next year.
And it’s certainly caught my attention as someone who hadn’t really seen much of Replaced before, but I’m definitely keen to see more. Check out the trailer below.
In case you need convincing, GAMINGbible’s own Sam Cawley saw the game at Gamescom earlier this year, saying it had “strong visuals and good storytelling,” and that he was “thoroughly impressed with what was on display here.”
Replaced is set to release in Spring 2026, and will be coming to PC, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Hopefully we'll get a release date confirmed for it soon enough.