Scorn, an Xbox X/S exclusive horror FPS, will be released in 2022. Scorn has had a long road to release: it was first announced in 2013 with a failed Kickstarter effort. After securing investor money a year later, the project’s developer, Ebb Software, approached Kickstarter again in 2017, and this time was successful. Now, the game will be launched, and if the 14-minute gameplay clip from last year is any indicator, it will be a stomach-churning experience.
Scorn has gotten a lot of attention, even with so little of it revealed thus far, due to its distinctive visual design. Everything in Scorn is meant to seem organic, with most of the environment and creatures resembling human organs or intestines, evoking the work of H.R. Giger.
Though the game may not be classified as survival horror because the player appears to be able to defeat the creatures they face quickly, it does have an unpleasant appearance and tone. Scorn is forsaking previous generations in favor of the Xbox Series X/S since the Xbox One can’t keep up. Horror aficionados seeking for a next-gen experience may be in luck.
According to the game’s publisher, Kepler Interactive, Scorn will be released at an undisclosed period in 2022. This is a postponement from the anticipated initial release date of 2021, and no justification for the postponement has been offered. After such a lengthy wait for the game, it remains to be seen if it will be released in the anticipated 2022 date.
The press release was focused on a more prominent announcement about a new publishing venture Kepler Interactive is starting, thus there were no updates on the game. Gamers are mainly in the dark due to Ebb Software’s lack of updates on how the game is going.
This isn’t the first time a horror game has left players in the dark—abandoned fans have only the promise of a future trailer to cling on to. It’s possible that next-gen terror encounters are still a ways off.
The game’s postponement until next year implies that Ebb Software still needs more time to polish it. Given that 2021 is coming to an end, a release date as vague as 2022 suggests that Scorn won’t be available until later in the year, maybe in the Fall or Winter.
Due to the lack of information about the game may fade from gamers’ thoughts until its release date approaches, and it receives more advertising. Still, its truly unsettling imagery lingers in the memory, and Scorn will stand out whenever it is released. Perhaps it will follow in the footsteps of fellow Xbox exclusive horror game The Medium and eventually be released on PS5, allowing even more gamers to experience it.
The year 2021 has passed us by, and the year 2022 will arrive sooner rather than later. Scorn is entering a crowded market, as a slew of games has already been revealed for the first few months of the year. Hopefully, after so much time in development, it will be well worth the wait when it eventually launches on PC, consoles, and Gamepass.