The Ascent climbs down from initial Q4 2020 release date

The Ascent, the upcoming action RPG from Neon Giant and Curve Digital, has been pushed back to 2021. The Microsoft-exclusive game, which will land on Xbox Series X, Series S, Xbox One, and PC, was initially penciled in for a Q4 2020 release date. However, in a new developer walkthrough video posted on Curve Digital’s YouTube channel, The Ascent’s publisher revealed that the title would arrive next year. An official release date will be announced in due course.

The Ascent will also be available on Xbox Game Pass for consoles and PC, and will arrive on the subscription service on launch day, and will target 4K at 60FPS on Xbox Series X.

“Xbox Game Pass is an amazing proposition for us as a small indie developer with a team of only 11 people, because it allows more players around the world to experience our game,” Neon Giant co-founder Tor Frick said. “To celebrate this exciting news, we wanted to cement the game’s place in 2021’s next-gen line-up by casting light on what players can expect to experience at launch,”

The Ascent sees players take on the role of an indentured worker, who must uncover the mystery behind the shutdown of The Ascent Group — a self-contained, corporate run metropolis — that occurs at the game’s beginning, which causes ructions across the globe. New details have been in short supply since its world exclusive reveal during Microsoft’s Xbox showcase in May. However, the game’s latest footage shows off a variety of features that fans can look forward to when The Ascent drops.

Two to four player co-op was confirmed during the walkthrough, while customization options were given a brief rundown. The footage also revealed that combat scenarios will feature ‘verticality’ support, which enables players to shoot at various heights in order to stagger enemies and ensure that no amount of cover is safe.